Agenda - 08-23-1999 - D3 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Potential Recreational Use of OWASA Property October 15, 1998 Page 2 On other tracts, such as the biosolids land or the two sites reserved for future elevated storage tanks, the NRTS Committee believed it to be in OWASA's best interest to defer consideration of alternative uses until the future utility needs for those properties are better defined through the Comprehensive Water and Sewer Master Plan or, in the case of the tank sites, by local regulatory requirements for setbacks, buffering, and so forth. These three mission- oriented considerations - utility operations, water quality, and future options — are abbreviated as (up), (wq), and (f) in Table 2, where they indicate the NRTS Committee's rationale for recommending against certain uses or activities. Maior Categories of Property The Committee fast considered possible uses OWASA's largest categories of land (see Table 1): Cane Creek property (inside and outside the s/a -mile Critical Area), biosolids application property, Stone Quarry Reservoir, and the elevated storage tank sites. Cane Creek Property— The NRTS Committee believed that property within the %Z -mile Critical Area should be considered for virtually no recreational activities, due to water quality concerns. Limited use of certain land in the Critical Area for research or educational purposes might be appropriate. Certain low-impact uses, such as a nature center, hiking/jogging trails, and other educational /research activities might be acceptable on OWASA property outside the Critical Area, but any uses requiring modification to the land for clearing, grading, parking, or vehicular access would not be acceptable. Similarly, the NRTS Committee recommended only limited activities be allowed on the portion of the existing Cane Creek recreation site draining to the lake (inside the watershed), but that additional uses might be allowed on the back portion of that property, which is located outside the watershed. Biosolids Application Property — Although most of OWASA's biosolids are currently applied under strict State regulation to private farmland, it has been OWASA's long -term strategy_ to accumulate sufficient land for the future, when less private property will - remain available for land application. A systematic review of biosolids management options including the production of Class A material, possible co- composting with municipal solid waste, further moisture reduction, and so forth = is included in the Water /Sewer Master Plan project. Such options could reduce the eventual need for land, but until this information is available, the NRTS Committee recommended that OWASA maintain its maximum range of future options and not consider recreational uses of biosolids property. Stone Quarry Property — Similarly, the Committee recommended that no recreational uses be considered at OWASA's Stone Quarry property until the future use of that site is more clearly established.