updated planning report updated planning report - City of Guelph

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development • recommend future monitoring. The key conclusions from this initial EIS were as follows: • There are no “…regionally or provincially significant vegetation communities on the site”, and similarly, “…no provincially significant plant or animal species on the site.” Although some habitat will be removed for two regionally significant wildlife species, the report notes that habitat (for those species) is available on other parts of the site. • All functions associated with Howitt Creek will be preserved, including aquatic habitat, surface water balance and the associated riparian corridor. Potential construction impacts can be mitigated by a suitable construction erosion and sediment control plan. • Only minor impacts will result from the loss of successional vegetation, as that vegetation is primarily non-native, and only the western portion of the site is proposed for development. The report recommends enhancement of the easterly (undeveloped) portion of the site, “…to preserve the greatest function possible for the site.” • A series of mitigation measures for potential impacts is recommended, focused on careful control of construction activities, and enhancement of the eastern open space area on the site. The report further concludes that with the recommended mitigation measures, “…net impacts of the development on Howitt Creek and on regionally significant species are expected to be low.” The report also notes (somewhat prophetically) that further environmental studies should be required if the ultimate development varies substantially from the development concept addressed in this EIS, “…particularly with respect to the stormwater management strategy.” Monitoring recommendations are also provided, including short-term monitoring throughout the construction period to ensure silt controls are effective and appropriate vegetation buffers are being retained. Future long-term monitoring is recommended after major rain events (greater than 100-year storm) allowing flows from the development to enter Howitt Creek. 5.4.2 Addendum I, May 2006 This initial addendum was prompted by March 2006 circulation comments from the GRCA, and primarily addressed the restoration of vegetation (trees, shrubs and herbaceous species) to the creek corridor, to enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitat. A number of related technical matters and recommendations were covered, including the following: • slope stability, including the delineation of steep slope hazard or floodplain, secondary and tertiary top of bank, and seepage areas; • the floodplain, including identification of storm flow routes, culvert improvements/modeling, and upstream overland flow; 30
Updated Planning Report September 2008 Proposed Lafarge/Silvercreek Development • fisheries, including the thermal regime of Howitt Creek, maintaining ecological function, and improvements to enhance the stream corridor, including riparian (vegetation) buffer zones; • stormwater management, including enhanced quality control, and pre-development infiltration levels; and, • provision of a detailed landscape (riparian restoration) plan. 5.4.3 Addendum II, Impacts of Revised Design and Tree Conservation Plan, November 2007 This further addendum, arose from the City’s request for an updated EIS to address the November 2007 revised development concept, to provide a tree conservation plan, and to address the floodline of the creek raised by GRCA. Key findings and recommendations include the following: • Since the prior reports (EIS and Addendum I) were submitted, one provincially significant plant species was noted during tree surveys, prompting a corresponding recommendation to relocate it to the then-proposed park east of Howitt Creek. • The revised commercial development concept was seen to have similar impacts to the original 2005 scheme, with one exception – the necessity for removal of trees along the railway embankments west of the creek, for which the recommended mitigation is the re-planting of trees along those embankments. • The revised stormwater management design is documented, in terms of its environmental implications, including the elimination of existing flooding west of the creek, and the creation of a post-development flood storage area east of the creek. • The impacts and mitigation related to the proposed “Junction Park” east of Howitt Creek are described. • The details of the tree survey and tree conservation plan are set out, focused on the west (commercial development) portion of the site. Key conclusions are as follows: ‣ tree-saving opportunities on the site are rare, and NSE thus concludes that “…for the most part, it would be more effective to replace the trees lost with higherquality native species”; ‣ the proposed commercial development will require removal of 423 native trees; however, proposed compensation is the planting of 2,600 trees along the creek and on the east side of the site, plus some new tree and shrub restoration along the northern edge of the development, plus additional trees in the landscaping around the commercial buildings in the parking lots, along the drainage channel, and along Hanlon Expressway. 31
Page 2 and 3: Updated Planning Report September 2
Page 54: Updated Planning Report September 2
Page 59: Updated Planning Report September 2

updated planning report updated planning report - City of Guelph

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?