02-03-25 - Council Work Session Agenda

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�IMINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY 520 Lafayette Road North I St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194 1 651-296-6300 800-657-3864 1 Use your preferred relay service I info.pca@state.mn.us I Equal Opportunity Employer January 9, 2025 Katie Larsen City of Lino Lakes 600 Town Center Parkway Lino Lakes, Minnesota 55014-1182 klarsen@linolakes.us RE: North Oaks Mixed Use Development — Environmental Assessment Worksheet Dear Katie Larsen Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the North Oaks Mixed Use Development project (Project) located in Anoka County, Minnesota. The Project consists of The North Oaks Company LLC constructing a mixed -use development located in the City of Lino Lakes, Anoka County, Minnesota. The project will include the construction of senior housing, market -rate apartments, affordable housing, commercial space, and single-family lots. Regarding matters for which the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has regulatory responsibility and other interests, the MPCA staff has the following comments for your consideration. Watershed • The proposed site is within the Minneapolis, St. Paul Priority A Surface water DWSMA. • With the proposed concentration of housing and roads, the development would benefit from having planned areas to put snow. Planning to store snow in areas that won't increase icy areas as the pile melts will be the most beneficial. • The goal is to develop with winter maintenance in mind and using less salt. o With the proximity to wetlands and lakes, planning for winter maintenance during development may help keep the waterbody off the impaired waters list for chloride. To better protect the waterbodies within the project boundary, there is an opportunity to do better than minimum runoff standards. • This could be done by designing for a lower runoff volume, more nutrient and sediment reductions, and provide wider vegetated buffers. • Include more details of planned infiltration areas and runoff rates. • Having more storage will help protect the housing areas from flooding. • With higher precipitation events expected, and wetland areas adjacent to properties, planning for higher precipitation events will prevent flooding of homes later. • Having a maintenance plan for the vegetated areas and stormwater BMP areas will ensure the BMPs continue to provide benefit. • This includes assigning who will oversee maintenance and what is allowed. • Protecting the buffered areas from mowing and having a vegetation management plan could reduce future landowner conflicts.