process. To that extent, this project has been proceeding through the |
|
system through numerous revisions. There are a number of wetland issues |
|
on this property, as well as woodland issues. She said that staff proceeded |
|
on the basis of the conversation with the city attorney. Enforcement matters |
|
are the perogative of the Mayor. Ms. Goodwin said she understands the |
|
concerns about precedent setting, however, she felt that if these had been |
|
concerns on the part of legal counsel (who had been involved in these |
|
matters over a period of time), that those issues would have been raised at |
|
that point, but they were not. She did not feel that the administration acted |
|
|
Council representative Beaton wondered if the applicant would have to pay |
|
to come back if this matter is tabled. Ms. Goodwin replied that the |
|
applicant does not have to pay twice. Member Beaton said that, in the |
|
future, when there are legal concerns with a piece of property which is |
|
coming before the Planning Commission, it would be a good idea to have |
|
the city attorney present to directly resolve the questions so that applicants |
|
don't have to come back twice. Mrs. Goodwin stated that it would be a |
|
good idea if the Planning Commissioners alerted her to their legal |
|
concerns before the night of the meeting. |
|
Mr. Todd Holloway stated that his purpose has been to help Singh |
|
Development try to resolve some of the issues related to wetlands on the |
|
site. He stated that Singh Development would like to improve this property |
|
with a single family subdivision site plan that will allow them to create a |
|
contiguous subdivision development while preserving the existing wetlands |
|
on the site, as well as preserving some of the areas which extend off-site. |
|
Singh is asking permission to work around the ponded area on the site and |
|
the area northwestern central part of the site. They are proposing to |
|
improve water quality and storm water management on the site and habitat |
|
value. The pond is in the western central area of the site. That pond |
|
currently has some reasonably high aquatic value; it's deep enough so that |
|
it has permanent standing water and has some wildlife. They would like to |
|
expand that opportunity by building a mitigation area adjacent to that open |
|
water pond in an area that currently is used for storing porous sands, gravel |
|
and topsoil material and converting this area to a brand new piece of |
|
wetland. In doing so, a lot of the organic material that exists on the site can |
|
be used as a soil basin, basically expanding what is a very rigid pond with |
|
very steep banks, and building next to it a mixture of plant types which |
|
grows in and below the water. This will actually reinforce the aquatic values |
|
that exist in the pond. |
|