Agenda - 10-01-2001-2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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County Solid Waste Management has tleveloped its plans for the utilization of this site with such a huffer strip allowance. The Orange County Planning Department requires a 100-foot vegetated buffer between lantlfill activities and public rightsof-way (artlinance senion t2 5, Lantl Use Buller Regviremonfsl. A Type F baiter is required for lantlflls: a butler composed of predominantly (a(leaat ]5%) evergreen vegetation Met ie opaque fv a height of of least thirty leaf. The provision for sutlta 100-fcot buffer for the County will occur within the 200-foot buffer requiretl by the state. Ezlsting vegetation antl visual characteristics The vegetative community which lies along both the northern and southern edges of Eubanks Road is rypiral o(the Chapel Hill vicinity where land tlisturbance has not recently taken place. The forest consists of predominantly deciduous hardwootls, with a few evergreens (cedarsantl pines)in their midst. Some hardwootl trees are mature, witha height Upwards of 40-SD feet The wootls which adjoin the clearing for Eubanks Roatl exhibit a strong "etlge condition° charadedzetl by faidy tlense understory growth. The reason for (hs etlge contlition is (hatthere is more light available here than deeper in [he wootls, for plants to thrive below the upper canopy of leaves. Typically there is far more biomass (foliage and wodtly growth) at the etlge of a woods than in its interior. This makes the wootls appear more opaque at eye level. However the woods are much less opaque after IeafErop in the fall. Visual openness persists for 4 to 5 months until re-gmwth in the spring. Some timhering has taken place recently, causing an opening of the canopy in some locations, several yartls back from Eubanks Roatl. Alreatly [he introtluction and growing of vigorous'voluntear' or invader species is apparent in the areas which have Caen timbered. The height antl tlensTy of these Vees varies, antl presently woultl not constitute an effective visual screen of the landfill aMivity, especially in winter. A low voltage power line crosses Eubanks Road s[ an angle, antl enters the buffer area. This dearetl easement is aligned almost parallel with Eubanks Road along the western haH of the buffer. The power company maintains this easement antler its vegetation management program. Thie results in periotlic sleah M volunteer trees whlrh threaten to grow up into the contlutlor zone. Therefore, the planting tlesign must consitlar [he deerence requirements for [he power line, i.e. utilize plants which do no[ encroach on [he wires. Proposed Planting Design It is important to consider the factors tlescribe0 above, in tlevising a planting scheme to screen the landfill eIXivity. Existing woodetl and partly-wootled areas wihin the 200' witle buffer strip can be enhancetl with more visuallyepaque bantls of planting. However, these bands ran be relatively nartow, from 20 tp 30 feet witle, and still be effective. Seltlom does a