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93 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> A-W- <br /> Department of Environment, <br /> Agriculture,Parks&Recreation <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> To: Brian Collie,Planner II,Planning and Inspections Department <br /> From: Christian Himi,Land Conservation Manager, DEAPR <br /> Date: September 19,2023 <br /> Re: Acer LLC"The Treeist"-Map Amendment Conditional Rezoning Proposal <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Map Amendment—Conditional <br /> upon land listed under Acer LLC. The map amendment would allow for rezoning the tract, currently <br /> under Rural Buffer designation,to Non-Residential Commercial District for use as an operations site for <br /> "The Treeist", a certified arboriculture and tree company. The site is approximately 10.01 acres located <br /> west of Milhouse Road,north of Eubanks Road, and is abutted to County property on three sides with <br /> Duke Forest on the western border. The subject property is one parcel(PIN 9871-50-3254) and is within <br /> the Neuse River/Jordan Lake Watershed. <br /> The property contains approximately 520 linear feet of Old Field Creek,which drains directly into New <br /> Hope Creek around 3 miles east of the property boundary. <br /> DEAPR comments on development projects are generally intended to a)address any concerns with <br /> respect to potential impacts on important natural or cultural resources, and b) identify any areas that might <br /> be desirable for possible dedication to the County for public recreation/open space pursuant to Section <br /> 7.11.5 of the Unified Development Ordinance. <br /> Natural Resources Review Comments: <br /> The plan calls for developing just over two-thirds of the property as center of operations and staging for <br /> "The Treeist"business, setting aside around one quarter of the property to protect the riparian buffers of <br /> Old Field Creek as delineated within the site plan. <br /> Referencing the State Natural Heritage Program Inventory and the dataset of the Biodiversity and <br /> Wildlife Corridor Assessment confirms Old Field Creek and associated forested corridor(approximately <br /> 100-150 feet from centerline),to be of medium-high conservation value (Score 7/10). This section of Old <br /> Field Creek headwaters at a spring just 1,500 feet north of the tract, on lands owned by Duke Forest and <br /> listed by the County and State Natural Heritage Area Inventory(Blackwood Mountain Natural Area). As <br /> such, Old Field Creek is recognized by the Eno New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan as the"Highest" <br /> category of Conservation Priority as a Habitat Patch and Wildlife Connectivity Corridor.Any such use of <br /> the areas around the creek should allow it to remain in its natural and wooded state. The improvement of <br /> the existing roadbed to modern standards, including culverts and/or bridging, should be done with care to <br /> limit the disturbance of the stream bed and walls. All other uses or potential improvements associated <br /> with the development of the tract should be located outside of this area. <br /> As the entirety of the tract is forested,apart from the already developed portion for a cell tower,the <br /> remainder is categorized as low conservation priority per the Biodiversity and Wildlife Corridor <br /> Assessment and moderate conservation value per the Eno New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan. Any <br />