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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEAF Review: Environmental & Planning ConsiderationsENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE HERITA GE A T CUTCHOGUE SITUATE 75 School House Lane; Cutchogue; Town of Southold, New York SCTM#: 1000-102-1-33.3 P~PA~D FOR Southold Town Planning Board Jerilyn Woocthouse, Chairperson Town Hall P. O. Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 P P-,EPAP-,ED BY Suffolk Environmental Consulting, Inc. Newman Village, Main Street, P.O. Box 2003, Bridgehampton, New York 11932-2003 (631) 537-5160 FAX: (631) 537-5291 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to summarize the application known as The Heritage at Cutchogue with respect to environmental and planning considerations to be evaluated in the site plan process undertaken by the Southold Town Planning Board. The Heritage at Cutchogue, LLC has requested site plan approval from the Southold Town Planning Board to authorize the construction of 139 attached and detached dwellings and related residential appurtenances on a 46.2 acre parcel in the Hamlet of Cutchogue. This report summarizes the proposed project and characterizes the site and surrounding area, summarizes the analysis provided by the application including water supply and sewage disposal, drainage, and traffic issues. This report examines the proposed project with respect to the Town's Zoning Law and concludes that the project as proposed is a permitted use in the Hamlet Density (HD) Residential District in which subject parcel lies. This report is to provide a framework for the Southold Town Planning Board to determine the magnitude and importance of the environmental impacts that can reasonably be expected to occur as a result of the project as proposed. 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Heritage at Cutchogue, LLC has requested site plan approval from the Southold Town Planning Board to authorize the construction of 139 attached and detached dwellings and related residential appurtenances on a 46.2 acre parcel in the Hamlet of Cutchogue. The overall property is being developed as a Planned 55+ Active Adult Community. The accessory support facilities include the construction of 8840 square foot clubhouse, a 160 square foot swimming pool, two 3,200 square foot tennis courts, a 2,400 square foot maintenance garage, a gazebo, a gatehouse, 322 parking spaces, of which 278 are associated with the individual dwelling units and 44 are associated with the clubhouse and recreation facility, 197,043 square feet of man made ponds, to serve as natural drainage areas and irrigation, 1,162,022 square feet of landscaping and other improvements consisting of the construction of 219,332 square feet of road surface, 34,236 square feet of sidewalk improvements, and parking lot areas consisting of 26,932 square feet. A total of 53 parking stalls will be provided, 45 of which are associated with the clubhouse. The individual dwelling units also feature separate driveways with attached garages. The site plan described above is an amendment of an earlier site plan application which featured planned multi-family townhouse development. The planned multi-family townhouse development was to consist of 150 townhouse units, of which 135 units would be sold at market rates and the remaining 15 units would be sold at affordable rates. The development was to be served by public water and a sewage treatment plant ("Cromaglass Plant"). In the current application, the applicant has selected five typical house plans all of which are of traditional architectural design. The various housing types alternate throughout the development in an effort to avoid a monotonous streetscape. The affordable units are similarly designed and dispersed throughout the development. The applicant has filed Sanitary Plans for the Heritage prepared by Nelson & Pope, Surveyors/Engineers dated January 17, 2005 which plans disclose that the dwelling units will be served by public water and on site sewage disposal systems. The Sanitary Plan features individual septic systems and gang systems for two, three and four single family units. The site plan also features a landscape plan prepared by Charles W. Kuehn submitted to the Planning Board on August 24, 2006. The landscape plans feature a perimeter berm surrounding the property that would be vegetated by evergreen trees including Leland Cypress and White Pine and understory shrubbery consisting of azalea, winterberry, holly and fountain grass. The landscape plans also feature the planting of street trees consisting of sugar maple, aristocrat pear, and sweet gum to be planted 40 feet on center. Finally, landscaping is provided around each dwelling unit, the plants for which consist of winterberry, ornamental grasses, hosta, astilbe, fountain grass, hydrangea, maiden grass and kousa dogwood. By correspondence from Jeffrey Rimland to the Planning Board dated March 22, 2007, the applicant states that the proposed project will be constructed in several phases. "The first phase will involve the basic site development which will include road layout, pond area preparation, construction of approximately six model homes and initial gatehouse and site work. After the model homes are completed we anticipate constructing approximately forty five units per year during the next three years. Work will not commence on a phase until contracts have been entered into for the homes to be constructed for that particular phase. The first phase will be constructed in the southeastern sector of the property, with the development of the northeast sector in the next year and the remaining western section undertaken during the last year. Each section will be completely landscaped with full roads and amenities before the next phase is undertaken." 4 LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION Subject property is a 46.2 acre parcel located at 75 School House Lane in the Hamlet of Cutchogue, Town of Southold, County of Suffolk. The property is described as SCTM # 1000-102-1-33.3. The property is an abandoned field which was previously farmed. Subject parcel is adjacent to residentially developed property to the north and west, the commercial hamlet center of Cutchogue to the south and an abandoned farm field to the east. The residential developments to the north and west are reasonably screened from the site by existing vegetation. Similarly dense vegetation occurs at the southeastern portion of the site. Adjacent to the southeastern portion of the site is a trailer park. Set forth below is an aerial photograph dated 2007 which shows the property and surrounding area. Access and road frontage for subject property include the eastern terminus of Bridle Lane and Spur Road, with additional frontage at the intersection of Griffing Street and School House Lane. As proposed, the primary access to the site is from the intersection of Griffing Street and School House Lane. The secondary access is taken from the eastern terminus of Spur Road. The extension of the eastern terminus of Bridle Lane (onto the site) will be dedicated for emergency access only. Topography of the site is best described as moderately sloping. The applicant prepared a plan entitled "EXISTING RESOURCES AND SITE ANALYSIS PLAN" which plan discloses steep slopes (slopes equal or greater than 15%) to be located at the southeastern portion of the site. These steeper slopes comprise less than 5% of the site. The remainder of the property is characterized as moderately sloped. The construction activities, including grading are subject to the regulatory process of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation pursuant to Phase II State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Program. Compliance with the Phase II SPDES Program will require that the Applicant prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPP) that must be approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and filed with the Planning Board and/or Town Engineer. The SWPP provides for best management practices for erosion control. According to the Soil Survey of Suffolk County, New York prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service (1975)the predominant soil types are Haven Loam (HaA), Plymouth Loamy Sand (PIC) and Riverhead Sandy Loam (RdB). Haven Loam is considered a class 1 agricultural soil and is distributed along the eastern and western perimeter of the site. Haven loam comprises approximately 1/3 of the property area. Plymouth Loamy Sand and Riverhead Sandy Loam comprise the remaining 2/3 of the property and area concentrated in the center of the property. All soil types are relatively common in the immediate Cutchogue area. The erosion potential for all soils found on site is slight to moderate. All soil types area suitable for development of house sites. The site is within an archeological and historically sensitive area based upon data from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. A Cultural Resource Assessment (Documentary Search and Field Inspection) THE HAMLET AT CUTCHOGUE, SOUTHOLD TOWNSHIP, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK prepared by Robert J. Kalin, July 1989 did not reveal any site conditions of significance with respect to archeological or cultural resources. The site is best described as a successional old field. Dominant trees include red cedar, white birch and locust. Dominant shrubs include northern bayberry and raspberry with the herbaceous layer consisting of various weeds and grasses. The site does not contain any ecologically significant resources such as wetlands and woodlands and does not support any threatened or endangered plant and animals. However, non-threatened plants exist on the site and non- threatened animals are expected to utilize the site. Successional old fields are described as apparently secure in New York State as per the New York Natural Heritage Program and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Successional old fields are common in the Town of Southold and Eastern Long Island. ZONING In February 1983, upon Petition of the then property owner, subject parcel was zoned Light Multiple Residential (M) to permit the construction of a residential community for senior citizens. In 1989, as part of a general re-zoning pursuant to the Town's adopted comprehensive plan, subject parcel was zoned Hamlet Density. During the 1990's subject parcel and the Hamlet Zones were again reviewed by the Town Board of the Town of Southold, and the Hamlet Density (HD) Residential District was re-affirmed for this property. The purpose of the Hamlet Density Residential District is "to permit a mix of housing types and level of residential density appropriate to the areas in and around the major Hamlet Centers, particularly, Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold, Orient and the Village of Greenport." The district only applies to properties within ~ mile of a Hamlet Business District of the major Hamlets of the Town specifically including Cutchogue. The proposed project is a permitted use in the Hamlet Density (HD) Residential District. WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL Subject parcel lies within Groundwater Management Zone IV. Public Water is available to the property. The applicant has submitted a Sanitary Plan for the Heritage at Cutchogue prepared by Nelson and Pope, Engineers and Surveyors dated January 17, 2005 ("Sanitary Plan"). The Sanitary Plan depicts a water main connection at Griffing Street and Spur Road. Generally, a design flow equal to 600 gallons per day per acre is permitted in Groundwater Zone IV for parcels that are served by public water. Public water is to be utilized for the living needs (i.e. cooking, bathing, and fire protection) for the future occupants of the dwelling units for this project. The applicant is not proposing the utilization of public water for purposes of landscape irrigation. In this application, the applicant utilizes the calculation method set forth in the Suffolk County Sanitary Code for purposes of establishing the permitted density in this Groundwater Management Zone. The calculation method provides for a permitted design flow equal to 22,625 gallons per day. The rated design flow for this project is 21,615 gallons per day. Therefore, this proposed project complies with the density limitations set forth in the Suffolk County Sanitary Code. Because public water is provided to the site, adequate capacity to serve the site is presumed. DRAINAGE CONSIDERATIONS The drainage calculations for the project are summarized in the Sanitary Plan. The specifications for the project are divided into two basic categories, pervious areas and impervious areas. The pervious areas include driveway areas and landscape areas, the total for which is 1,220,362 square feet. The impervious areas include the road area, sidewalk area, building roof area, clubhouse roof, patio, pool and gazebo area, parking lot and pond area, the total for which 792,725 square feet. Inclusion of the pond area as an impervious area is appropriate because the pond area will be created by the installation of an artificial PVC pond liner. The applicant utilizes a runoff coefficient of 0.3 for the pervious areas and a runoff coefficient of 1.0 for the impervious areas. The applicant proposes to install a series of catch basins and leaching pools to provide for the capture and recharge of a portion of the storm water generated from the proposed project. In addition, the applicant proposes to utilize the pond area for runoff storage. Pond levels will be maintained in part by storm water and by rainfall. By correspondence dated November 8, 2006, from James A. Richter, R.A., Town Engineer, to Jerilyn B. Woodhouse, Chairperson - Planning Board in the Town of Southold, the Town Engineer has certified that the drainage calculations provided meet the minimum requirements of the Town Code. The Town Engineer has requested further details to the overall drainage designs for further review. The Town Engineer has also requested a provision for test holes in the general area of the drainage systems to indicate the depth of soils and overall depth to groundwater if encountered. TRAFFIC The Applicant prepared and submitted a Traffic Impact Study: THE HERITAGE AT CUTCHOGUE, Cutchogue, Town of Southold, July 2006 prepared by Nelson & Pope, Engineers and Surveyors ('Traffic Study"). The Traffic Study was to evaluate the potential impacts associated with a proposed senior residential development comprised of 139 condominiums. Existing conditions were analyzed utilizing seasonally adjusted traffic volumes to represent the peak month of the year and field geometry collected at the following intersections: Main Road (NYS Rte 25) at Depot Lane, Main Road (NYS Rte 25) at Griffing Street, Middle Road (CR 48) at Depot Lane, and Schoolhouse Road at Depot Lane. The traffic volumes generated by the proposed projects were determined utilizing Highway Capacity Software (HCS). The traffic study went on to compare the existing traffic representing a "no-build alternative" against a "future-build" condition. The data was analyzed to determine Level Of Service (LOS) for the surrounding road network. No changes in LOS were detected in any of the above mentioned intersections with the exception of the intersection of Schoolhouse Road at Depot Lane. There, LOS changed from A to B. The LOS change from A to B reflected a bracketing change in delay classification predicted to be experienced by a motorist making a left turn from Schoolhouse Road onto Depot Lane. However, the actual calculated delay occurring at A.M. peak hour increased insignificantly from 10.0 seconds to 10.2 seconds. In addition, traffic analysis was applied at the proposed access way onto Spur Road, which analysis revealed site generated trips varying from 3 to 4 occurring during weekday A.M., P.M. and Saturdays. Although, no change in LOS is expected to occur at the intersection of Main Road and Depot Lane as a result of the proposed project, the traffic study re-emphasizes the need for the installation of a traffic signal at that location. ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING CONCERNS A review of the instant application before the Planning Board in consideration of the surrounding community or district has revealed the following environmental and planning concerns to be addressed in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment Form - Part 2: o Im o Im o Im o Im o Im o Im o Im )act on Land; ~act on Plants and Animals; ~act on Agricultural Land Resources; ~act on Aesthetic Resources; ~act on Open Space and Recreation; ~act on Transportation; and ~act on the Growth and Character of the Community or Neighborhood. The Environmental Impact Form - Part 2 is to be prepared to determine whether or not the potential environmental impacts are small to moderate or potentially large and whether or not the impact can be mitigated by project change.