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tMetropolitan Council November 20, 2006 Jeff Smyser, City Planner City of Lino Lakes 600 Town Center Parkway Lino Lakes, MN 55014 RE: Nature's Refuge Residential Subdivision Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) Metropolitan Council District 11 Metropolitan Council Review No. 19884 -1 Dear Mr. Smyser: This EAW is for a residential development on an irregularly- shaped 232 -acre property. It is n design proposed as a conservation development under the City's recently e n on 100 aloes of the site ordinance. The resulting site plan would have 278 single - family lots with the remaining 132 acres of mostly wetlands restored and preserved through a permanent conservation easement. Metropolitan Council staff review of the EAW finds that it is complete and accurate with respect to regional concerns. An Environmental impact Statement is not necessary for regional pure Council staff suggests the following advisory comments for the City's consideration before final project approval. Land Use (Bob Mazanec, 651 -602 -1330) The EAW indicates the net residential density of the development will be 2.78 units per acre. Since this density is below Metropolitan Council standards for s ered, urban development, it will be important for the City to include the final project density in future plat reports to the Council. Also, the EAW indicates a portion of the project site is lies outside the currently designated Metropolitan. Urban Service Area (MUSA) but is within the City's Growth Area 1, 1998- 2010. While this part of the site is outside the already designated MUSA, it is within the City's undesignated MUSA area previously approved by the Council and will need to be added to the current MUSA as the project proceeds. It will be important for the City to include this transfer of undesignated MUSA area to the City's current MUSA area in its annual MUSA status reports to the Council and on future growth staging maps. Parks and Open Space (Jan Youngquist, 651- 602 -1029) Staff notes that the majority of the site is within a Metro Wildlife Conservation Corridor and a Regionally Significant Ecological Area (RSEA) of Outstanding Quality, while the eastern portion of the site is a Regionally Significant Natural Resources Area (RSNRA) of High Quality as designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Metropolitan Council. The Council, in partnership with the DNR and others, conducted the inventory and assessment of natural resources in the metropolitan area. The www.metroccruncil..org 390 Robert Street North • St. Paul, MN 55101 -1805 • (651) 602 -1000 • Fax (651) 602 -1550 • TTY (651) 291 -0904 An Egoat OPPortlmibj EmP1amler