08/25/2004 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

• • Agenda Item 5A Environmental Board Meeting Date: August 25, 2004 Topic: Speiser Acres Background: This review is for a Preliminary Plat proposal submitted by Lois and James Speiser. The proposed plan subdivides a larger parcel to allow for one single family lot, and house. The Speiser property is located at 453 Birch Street (Attachment 1). This proposal does not create an additional parcel, but subdivides 3 existing parcels to maintain 3 parcels. Analysis: The Preliminary Plat and Preliminary Plat Detail for Speiser Acres (Attachments 2 and 3) depicts the location of Lot 2, Wetland delineation, surface water flow patterns, and proposed 10 foot buffer along the wetland. This proposed parcel appears to be more than 1000 feet from Rice Lake. (Attachments 4, 5). The proposed new house would hook -up to the sewer /water that is in Birch Street. Surface Water: There is a private ditch (Attachments 4, 5) that is located on the western side of Lot 2. This ditch drains treated surface water from subdivisions from the South and empties into Rice Lake. Surface water from Birch Street, flowing from the East empties into a small depression area on the SW corner of Lot 2. Water flowing off the lot would go into the Birch Street ditch, or to the west. There is a small depressional swale on the West Side of an existing Aspen stand (west of the proposed house) between the private ditch and the proposed house. The depressional swale is separated from the depressional area on the SW lot corner by an elevation change. It might be suggested to connect the depressional area with the swale area to allow for capturing impervious water runoff from the new proposed house. These areas appear to be in the wetland, however the depressions may allow more time for water to settle out materials and filtrate through some organic soil before reaching the ditch. The Aspen stand (Attachment to the west of the proposed house acts as a nice buffer /infiltration area before this ditch as well. Flood plane seems to cover most of the site. Vegetation: The MLCCS (Attachment 5) describes native dominated temporarily flooded wetland and long grasses and mixed trees with 4 -10% impervious cover. Long grasses, particularly in the wetland transition area means reed canary grass. In addition, Attachment 5 shows aspen stand areas that exist on the property. As previously discussed, these aspen provide an excellent buffer /infiltration area for surface water. The problem is, the proposed house will remove a good part of the Aspen. My suggestion is to look at ways to save as much of these aspen as possible. For example, could the house be