HomeMy WebLinkAboutArchibald Comment2s - Royal Golf Club EAW From: archyeaaleCilamail.com on behalf of Matthew Archibald
To: Stephen Wensman
Cc: Matthwew Archibald
Subject: Royal Golf Club Environmental Assessment Worksheet 30-day comment period
Date: Friday,November 18,2016 4:11:05 PM
Hello Mr. Wensman,
I write in comment of the EAW that was filed for the Royal Golf Club Residential
Development as a concerned local resident. I live at 11365 24th Street Court North, Lake
Elmo.
What else do I need to complete to fully document my concerns regarding this EAW other
than writing my comments in this format here? I do not agree with the completeness of the
prepared file, here are the features that I feel need more due diligence in Sections 8, 12, 15 and
20:
• Section 8. Permit and Approvals required.
Missing an Approval from the city. I see no record of a Tree Preservation plan or tree inventory as
required by the Lake Elmo Zoning Code Chapter 154. In the EAW,Table 2 summarizes the Before and
After Cover types. Included in this out line there is a 53% reduction in the woodland cover.
30% is the limit of the allowable tree removal rate within the City Code. With this documented plan
to reduce woodland cover by more than 53%, this is a "potential impact that warrants detailed
further investigation" and documentation. The Developer should hired a registered Forrester to
inventory all the onsite trees to be added to this Environmental Impact Statement.
Unit of Government Type of Application Status
City of Lake Elmo Tree Preservation Plan Not outlined, Prepared,
Submitted or Approved
154.257 TREE PRESERVATION.
A. Purpose. Within the City of Lake Elmo, trees and woodlands are considered a valuable
asset to the community. The City places a priority on protecting this asset and finds that it is in
the best interest to regulate the development and alteration of wooded areas within the
community. All builders, developers and subdividers shall comply with all the provisions in
the Zoning Code which address the preservation of existing significant trees. All builders,
developers and subdividers are encouraged to preserve all healthy trees of significant value
even if the trees do not meet the size requirements to be considered significant trees.
• Section 12. Contaminatio/Hazardous Materials/Wastes
Within the Regulated Soil Management Area -what isthe potential impact to local residential
groundwater of managing all of the excavated hazardous soil on-site, at the west end of the Driving
range? What type of impervious barrier was laid below the transferred Regulated soil? I see you no
description for the layer used in the HELP model referenced in the report by Carlson McCain, Inc.
Additional, expansion on the assumptions and outputs from this model are a gap from this report in
Appendix D. By concentrating the hazardous soil at the west side of the driving range - how has this
minimized the impact of these hazards on the local Groundwater? I see how this has minimized the
impact to the planned development but what about the rest of the community in Lake Elmo?
• Section 15 &/or Section 20 "Visual" and "Other Potential Environmental
Effects"
Light pollution—What are the project details related to minimizing escapement of light into the
environment. The proposal needs to address light pollution and the impact on the regional
ecosystem and wildlife. I think a documented report detailing the baseline local night-time
brightness compared to the expected increase will be an important feature to outline as part of the
Environmental Impact Statement.
Thank you for your work and attention to these comments,
Matt