NEW YORK STATE URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION d/b/a ...

Findings
While it is impossible to construct facilities without alterations to soils, these impacts will be
minimized and/or avoided to the maximum extent practicable with implementation of the
mitigation measures set forth above. Furthermore, the potential impacts are greatly
outweighed by the substantial socioeconomic benefits of the Project.
Water Resources
Discussion of Potential Impacts
The Project has been designed to avoid and/or minimize to the maximum extent possible
adverse impacts to water resources, and although impacts will result from the Project, large
amounts of wetlands and other water resources will be preserved.
Aquatic resources on the Project Site were identified, evaluated, and considered throughout
the design process. The first consideration was to determine if wetland and stream impacts
could be avoided entirely. The second consideration was to minimize potential impacts in
terms of both quantity and quality to the maximum extent practicable. The third consideration
was to develop a mitigation strategy that would compensate for all unavoidable impacts.
Design iterations to the Project Site ultimately reduced potential wetland impacts from
approximately 69 acres to 9.54 acres. In addition to reducing total acreage of impacts, wetland
location and quality were taken into consideration. The wetlands potentially impacted are lowto-medium
quality wetlands, some of which are isolated and not currently regulated. Wetlands
potentially impacted by the Preferred Alternative are listed by wetland identification number,
along with the community type, total size, potential impact acres, preliminary jurisdiction, and
condition rating in Table 6-1 of the FGEIS. With the possible exception of development of a
recreational trail in adjacent areas, no wetlands or adjacent areas likely to be regulated by the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) under Article 24 of the
Freshwater Wetland Act will be impacted.
A minimum buffer of 100 feet shall be established on either side of Whitney Creek to avoid
impacts and allow for stream buffer enhancement opportunities. The second drainage corridor
to the north of Whitney Creek (also referred to as Unnamed Stream No. 2) has also been
preserved along with a proposed conservation buffer. The Project will require that the third
drainage way (Unnamed Stream No. 1) be re-routed into the second corridor (Unnamed Stream
No. 2) to accommodate flow and provide hydrology to enhance and restore wetlands and
streams in the protected corridor.
A total of 24,304.89 linear feet of stream, ditches and drainage ways will be preserved and
enhanced as a result of the Project. Approximately 9,595 linear feet of ditches and drainage
ways will be impacted as a result of the development at the Project Site.
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