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Home My WebLink AboutLandscape Management Plan Recvd 1/6/17 r l 0 (1 1;1�.r , q�ZRw�q��^07 °Va�ugq'nqIBoard Landscape Management Plan ................ The Heritage at Cutchogue Condominium Development Cutchogue, New York Town of Southold ,�� ,, •gs % iii i r i r r rl ii ri i ✓iii, PREPARED FOR "RE 'ARED BY lanuary 3, 20,17 m=o-000 Landscape Management Plan The purpose of this Landscape Management Plan(LMP) is to provide additional detail and information regarding the future landscape operations of The Heritage Community development. This document should be read in conjunction with the submitted Planting Plans of the Site Plan package. This LMP will focus on the Soil Management Plan(SMP),Management of Non-Irrigated Areas and Natural Buffer, and Irrigation Planning&Practices. Despite specification of best management practices and meeting or exceeding industry standards for LMP to promote and provide optimal conditions for wildlife and vegetation, desired outcomes cannot be guaranteed due to variable factors. VHB and the property owners cannot control or be responsible for variables that may influence results, such as,but not limited to,severe weather events(e.g. extended drought, hurricanes,heavy winds,torrential rains, etc.),pest and disease outbreak, and events or acts controlled by nature or beyond reasonable control. According to the Planting Plans, a ratio of one-part organic matter(composted leaf mold) to two parts native topsoil is to be used for backfill soils for tree, shrub,perennial/groundcover, and ornamental grass plantings,in an effort to reduce irrigation water use upon landscape establishment. The native topsoil used for planting will be mitigated topsoil resulting from the SMP operations. With regard to Management of Non-Irrigated Areas, as noted on the Planting Plans,'Seed Mix C'—Meadow Mix areas will be native plants that will require minimal maintenance and input once they are established. The plant species specification of'Seed Mix C'has been revised to include Wild Strawberry so as to improve wildlife habitat and wildlife food sources in non-irrigated areas. The LMP for promoting native species will follow standard industry practices for meadow establishment, and will include establishing and promoting native plant colonies,monitoring invasive species, mowing meadow areas only when invasive species are out-competing native species to promote growth of young native seedlings, and cutting back large woody plants and other undesirables. No fertilization program and irrigation will be required due to the fact that native meadows perform better in lean and dryer soils, while invasive species typically prefer the opposite. Once meadow and plant colonies have established, mowing is optional, as it is not necessary. If mowing will be done,it will be coordinated and timed to avoid damage and harm to wildlife,especially the Eastern Box Turtle. LMP operations within the 50 Foot Natural Buffer will be limited to the following actions: • Removal of dead, dying,or diseased trees, in the opinion of a certified arborist,that represents an imminent threat to structures or people may be removed without prior Planning Board approval. m=o-000 • Removal of noxious or invasive plants and vines is permitted,but they must be hand-pulled,hand-cut,or cut with machinery selective enough to keep nearby native plants intact to the greatest extent practicable. • Installation of 50 existing relocated Eastern Redcedars tagged in the field on 12/21/2016 as suitable candidates to close existing screening gaps; final locations will be determined in field based on field visibility to adjacent properties. Irrigation planning and practices for the Heritage at Cutchogue site begin with selection of plants that are tailored, respectively, to irrigated and non-irrigated areas. All plantings selected for non-irrigated areas will be native species with a relative degree of drought-tolerance. Thereafter, there will be infrequent deep watering during the plant establishment, so as to promote deep root growth and development,which will increase the plantings' drought tolerance. Typically, native species have deeper root systems than non-native landscape plants, and thus require less water and maintenance, once established. All the plantings that have been proposed for non-irrigated areas are native species, should be drought-tolerant upon establishment, and should not require irrigation to survive beyond the establishment period. All plantings, whether native,non- native,or drought-tolerant,will all require temporary irrigation until their roots have developed and they have become established. For turf areas, the Planting Plans specify the use of improved turf species--'Seed Mix-A' &'Seed Mix-B', Turf Type Tall Fescue blend and Hard Fescue--that are known to be the most durable and deepest rooted turf species available(more so than the conventional species like Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Rye) in our USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a. A similar cultural practice of infrequent deep watering, as stated above, will promote drought tolerance of all turf areas. Temporary irrigation will be required for non-irrigated areas throughout the plant establishment period. The quantity of water expected to be used for irrigation of trees and plantings outside the permanent irrigation zones, during establishment, cannot be accurately quantified due to numerous variables. Temporary irrigation quantity will be dependent on precipitation, weather conditions, maintenance practices(e.g.use of mulch and organic matter soil amendments),plant species, species-specific water intake rates, etc. As indicated above, good cultural practices, such as mulching root zones,organic matter soil amendments, deep infrequent watering, can promote plant establishment and reduce temporary irrigation quantity. The water source for temporary irrigation will be dependent on the landscape contractor;however potential irrigation sources could be either proposed on-site dedicated irrigation wells or nearby fire hydrant(s) with the proper municipal approvals. The delivery method for irrigation would also be contractor-dependent,but may include temporary irrigation rotary heads on tripods and/or temporary slow release watering bags for trees(i.e.Treegator Bags). m=o-000 As set forth in the Planting Plans, an automatic irrigation system,including a zone and timing plan,will be designed and submitted by the irrigation contractor, and approved by the landscape architect or engineer,prior to installation. It is estimated that a complete irrigation cycle will take a few days to cover the entire site and will not exceed the approved water usage of 25,000 gallons/day. Irrigated areas will be separated into zones;and lawn areas and shrub/tree beds will be separately zoned due to differing watering requirements. As previously mentioned,the specified lawn seed mixes are known to be durable and to have deeper root systems than conventional lawn species. Once established,lawn areas can be watered every other day to every third day,while tree/shrub beds can be watered every third day or less frequently. Proposed locations for dedicated irrigation wells have been shown on the Planting Plans. It is estimated the irrigation system will need six(6)well locations;however this is contractor-dependent and locations are subject to change based on the irrigation design. Minimal to no impacts are anticipated on the water quantity and quality of the neighboring wells due to previously- recorded water table depth data. However, all well and pumps will require NYSDEC Permit applications, and adverse impacts to ground water will be evaluated prior to issuing permits. Additionally,once vegetation is established, irrigation is most effective during off-peak hours(e.g.,before sunrise),when water loss from evaporation is avoided. The well water pumps are typically powered by electric motors that generate little to no noise from irrigation pump operations. Availability of irrigation well water in the water table can fluctuate due to daily and seasonal variations. With regard to water availability,the following is publicly-available information from the Suffolk County Water Authority website: Do we have enough water in the aquifers, or will we run out some day? Scientists believe there are between 65 and 120 trillion gallons of water stored in the underground aquifers.The SCWA pumps about 60 billion gallons per year, all of which is replaced annually by rain and snow absorbed into the aquifers. Annual precipitation in Suffolk alone is in excess of 400 billion gallons,most of which runs off into the surrounding bays,Long Island Sound and the ocean. \\vhb\proj\LongIs1and\29305.00 Heritage Cutchogue\docs\VARIOUS\Landscape Management Plan-01-03-17.docx