Fairview Refinement Plan III, Case - City of Salem, Oregon

. . .. Principle 6, Respect the Landscape ... The appearance visible from the perimeter and
from satellite of the earthwork already done in remediating the orchard .area and carving
out the bases for new streets causes us concern about adherence to the Master Plan
call to "work with, not against, the existing landscape. The natural slopes for the site are
preserved for recreational use, for habitat, and for storm water flow" and "wetlands are
preserved." One example of the work done is apparently a cut forB street across the
south edge of Lot 2. Also, the refinement plan reveals a mixed record on preservation of
wetlands ...
Staff Response: Based on the City's 2011 aerial photographs of the Simpson Hills LLC
property it is unclear the degree to which the above-referenced vehicle tracks, left by 2009 soil
remediation activities on the site, match the current refinement plan proposal, whether the track
layout was intended as a precursor to the current refinement plan proposal, or whether the track
locations work with the natural topography. Figure 18 of the applicant's proposal depicts the
sinuosity of the conceptual street layout relative to site elevation contours, and appears to show
the roadways generally conforming to rather than working against the natural topography of the
site. Regarding wetlands, the applicant indicates that a wetland delineation was approved for
the Fairview Hills property in 2010 by the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The resulting removal/fill permit identifies the areas of
permanent and temporary impacts and outlines the mitigation requirements for the entire
Fairview Hills property, around which the refinement plan has been designed. Tneplanproposes
to preserve and integrate wetland and drainageway elements identified in the Fairview
Master Plan Natural Resources Inventory, into the open space, off-street pedestrian amenities
and stormwater management components of the plan area.
c. . .. Principle 7: Zero Impact to the Regional Watershed ... A key element of the Master
Plan calls for the use of best infiltration practices to retain (almost) all storm water near
where it lands. The refinement plan shows little attempt to infiltrate storm water across
the site. Instead, it appears to provide that the bulk of the water be piped to the
northeast corner and/or off site across Reed Road. We are concerned about the
volume, rate of discharge, and quality of the water leaving the property ... There seems to
be no acknowledgement of pending changes in Salem code and DEQ requirements for
stcirmwater. There are many available opportunities for better handling of the
stormwater ...
d. . .. the preliminary detailed site drawings for the first phase complex/compound of
apartments on Lot 2 has acres of large impermeable parking lots and no visible
accommodation for infiltration of water even around the edges ...
Staff Response: The applicant submitted a geotechnical investigation with the refinement plan
(Appendix 5) to assess among other things the stormwater infiltration capability of soils on the
subject property. Based on infiltration testing the report indicates that the site is characterized
by lateral migration of infiltrating water rather than vertical infiltration, and is poorly suited for
subsurface disposal of stormwater. In response to these findings, the applicant proposes a
stormwater attenuation area in the northeast corner of the refinement plan area allowing for
natural infiltration to the extent possible. The plan indicates that the stormwater facility will be
designed as an extended dry basin that provides both water quantity attenuation and water
quality treatment that is appropriate for this setting given the existing soils, hydrology,
topography, and surrounding environment. The facility will be designed in accordance with the
Low Impact Development Approaches Handbook adopted by Clean Water Services of
Washington County, which the Public Works Department has indicated is consistent with the
FRP 12-01 Page 6 March 20, 2012