Meeting 051895 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

community. The reports which follow will analyze the impacts of these three scenarios. EXISTING CONDITIONS: Greg Haus mentioned that Stoney Creek Basin planning area is a 4,696 acre area defined primarily by the drainage basin of Stoney Creek. For simplicity, the edges of the planning area were drawn to include entire parcels where those parcels cross the boundary of the actual drainage basin. He mentioned that there were 795 total dwelling units with a current estimated population of 2,135 people. The existing zoning consists of 4,515 acres of residential (one unit /acre), 150 acres of Rural Buffer (one unit /two acres) and 33 acres of commercial. The residential land consists mostly of single family detached with some mobile homes. The commercial area does have some commercial developments on the major roads. He also mentioned that the Use Value parcels are land currently in, and taxed at, agricultural production. Finally, the total undeveloped areas consist of 1,999 acres. He reviewed a fact sheet of proposed development scenarios. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: Jeff Bowyer gave an overview of the Impact Tables for Conventional, Density- Neutral and Neo- Traditional development scenarios. He then reviewed the specific impact of each of the scenarios on the natural and historic resources. He stated that the Stoney Creek Basin is characterized by a variety of natural and historic resources. The natural resources include the floodplain along Stoney Creek, wetlands, steep slopes, large forested areas, and wildlife habitat /corridors. These resources are significant for both functional and aesthetic reasons. Floodplains provide the area needed to accommodate flood waters from Stoney Creek. Wetlands filter rainwater as it travels to groundwater reserves, which may be pumped from drinking water. They also provide wildlife habitat and migration corridors and are home to a variety of plant species. Steep slopes can create viewsheds' with aesthetic value. Forested areas minimize stormwater runoff (compares to developed land), provide wildlife habitat, and have energy- saving effects on adjacent development by providing natural cooling. In addition, their aesthetic value is significant. The historic resources in the basin include several structures, sites of former structures, and a small cemetery, all of which have been identified by the county as potentially being of historic significance. At a minimum, it is important that any future development in this area allow for the preservation of these resources until their true historic significance can be established. The floodplain, wetlands, steep slopes, and natural areas, including wildlife corridors and the county designated Rural Buffer, were the basis of the suitability analysis used by each design group. As a result, each group generally tried to incorporate these areas into its design while minimizing the impact of development on them. However, there are several notable differences in the impacts of each sign. Those impacts were summarized. Dean Zehnder asked for clarification regarding the space requirements for a wildlife corridors to actually support wildlife.. Bill Bracey mentioned that deep forest is required for many of the animal species residents would like to have their communities support. The presence of deer is not an indicator that sufficient space exists for a wildlife corridor.