HomeMy WebLinkAboutU-5500Pat McCrory
Governor
A kv F WA
MCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Charles,Wakild, P. E.
Director
March 13, 2013
MEMORANDUM
To: Lyn Hardison, NCDENR
From: Rob Ridings, NC Division of Water Quality, Transportation Permitting Unit
John Skvarla III
Secretary
4///l
Subject: Scoping comments Town of Cary proposed improvements to SR 1615 in Wake County, Federal
Aid Project No. STPDA - 1650(5), TIP No. U -5500, State Clearinghouse Project No. 13 -0338.
Reference your correspondence received March 11, 2013 in which you requested comments for the
referenced project. Preliminary analysis of the project reveals the potential for impacts to streams,
jurisdictional wetlands, and/or riparian buffers in the project area. More specifically, impacts to:
Stream Name
River Basin &
Stream
Stream Index
303(d) Listing?
Subbasin
Classifications
Number
Bachelor Creek
Cape Fear 05
WS -IV; NSW
16- 41 -6 -2
No
White Oak Creek
Cape Fear 05
WS -IV; NSW
16 -41 -6
No
Further investigations at a higher resolution should be undertaken to verify the presence of other streams
and /or jurisdictional wetlands in the area. In the event that any jurisdictional areas are identified, the
Division of Water Quality requests that the applicant consider the following environmental issues for the
proposed project:
Project Specific Comments:
1. Bachelor Creek and White Oak Creek are class WS -N; NSW waters of the State. NCDWQ is very
concerned with sediment and erosion impacts that could result from this project. NCDWQ recommends
that highly protective sediment and erosion control BMPs be implemented to reduce the risk of nutrient
runoff to these creeks and their tributaries. NCDWQ requests that road design plans provide treatment of
the storm water runoff through best management practices as detailed in the most recent version of
NCDWQ's Stormwater Best Management Practices.
2. This project is within the Jordan Lake Basin. Riparian buffer impacts shall be avoided and minimized
to the greatest extent possible pursuant to 15A NCAC 2B .0267. New development activities located in
the protected 50 -foot wide riparian areas within the basin shall be limited to "uses" identified within and,
constructed in accordance with 15A NCAC 2B.0267. Buffer mitigation may be required for buffer
impacts resulting from activities classified as "allowable with mitigation" within the "Table of Uses"
section of the Buffer Rules or require a variance under the Buffer Rules. A buffer mitigation plan,
including use of the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program, must be provided to NCDWQ prior to
A"M
MODE R
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Pat McCrory Charles Wakild, P. E. John Skvarla III
Governor Director Secretary
approval of the Water Quality Certification. Buffer mitigation may be required for buffer impacts
resulting from activities classified as "allowable with mitigation" within the "Table of Uses" section of
the Buffer Rules or require a variance under the Buffer Rules. A buffer mitigation plan, including use of
the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program, must be provided to NCDWQ prior to approval of the Water
Quality Certification.
General Project Comments:
The environmental document should provide a detailed and itemized presentation of the proposed
impacts to wetlands and streams with corresponding mapping. If mitigation is necessary as
required by 15A NCAC 21-1.0506(h), it is preferable to present a conceptual (if not finalized)
mitigation plan with the environmental documentation. Appropriate mitigation plans will be
required prior to issuance of a 401 Water Quality Certification.
2 Environmental impact statement alternatives shall consider design criteria that reduce the impacts to
streams and wetlands from storm water runoff. These alternatives shall include road designs that
allow for treatment of the storm water runoff through best management practices as detailed in the
most recent version of NCDWQ's Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual, July 2007, such
as grassed swales, buffer areas, preformed scour holes, retention basins, etc.
3 After the selection of the preferred alternative and prior to an issuance of the 401 Water Quality
Certification, the NCDOT is respectfully reminded that they will need to demonstrate the avoidance
and minimization of impacts to wetlands (and streams) to the maximum extent practical. In
accordance with the Environmental Management Commission's Rules { 15A NCAC 2H.0506(h)),
mitigation will be required for impacts of greater than 1 acre to wetlands. In the event that
mitigation is required, the mitigation plan shall be designed to replace appropriate lost functions and
values. The NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program may be available for use as wetland mitigation.
4 In accordance with the Environmental Management Commission's Rules (I 5A NCAC
2H.0506(h) }, mitigation will be required for impacts of greater than 150 linear feet to any single
stream. In the event that mitigation is required, the mitigation plan shall be designed to replace
appropriate lost functions and values. The NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program may be available
for use as stream mitigation.
5 Future documentation, including the 401 Water Quality Certification Application, shall continue to
include an itemized listing of the proposed wetland and stream impacts with corresponding
mapping.
6 NCDWQ is very concerned with sediment and erosion impacts that could result from this project.
The applicant shall address these concerns by describing the potential impacts that may occur to the
aquatic environments and any mitigating factors that would reduce the impacts.
NC®ENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Pat McCrory Charles Wakild, P. E. John Skvarla III
Governor Director Secretary
7 An analysis of cumulative and secondary impacts anticipated as a result of this project is required.
The type and detail of analysis shall conform to the NC Division of Water Quality Policy on the
assessment of secondary and cumulative impacts dated April 10, 2004.
8 The applicant is respectfully reminded that all impacts, including but not limited to, bridging, fill,
excavation and clearing, and rip rap to jurisdictional wetlands, streams, and riparian buffers need to
be included in the final impact calculations. These impacts, in addition to any construction impacts,
temporary or otherwise, also need to be included as part of the 401 Water Quality Certification
Application.
9 Where streams must be crossed, NCDWQ prefers bridges be used in lieu of culverts. However, we
realize that economic considerations often require the use of culverts. Please be advised that
culverts should be countersunk to allow unimpeded passage by fish and other aquatic organisms.
Moreover, in areas where high quality wetlands or streams are impacted, a bridge may prove
preferable. When applicable, the applicant should not install the bridge bents in the creek, to the
maximum extent practicable.
10 Whenever possible, NCDWQ prefers spanning structures. Spanning structures usually do not
require work within the stream or grubbing of the streambanks and do not require stream channel
realignment. The horizontal and vertical clearances provided by bridges shall allow for human and
wildlife passage beneath the structure. Fish passage and navigation by canoeists and boaters shall
not be blocked. Bridge supports (bents) should not be placed in the stream when possible.
11 Bridge deck drains shall not discharge directly into the stream. Stormwater shall be directed across
the bridge and pre- treated through site - appropriate means (grassed swales, pre - formed scour holes,
vegetated buffers, etc.) before entering the stream. Please refer to the most current version of
NCDWQ's Stormwater Best Management Practices.
12 Sediment and erosion control measures should not be placed in wetlands or streams.
13 Borrow /waste areas should avoid wetlands to the maximum extent practical. Impacts to wetlands in
borrow /waste areas will need to be presented in the 401 Water Quality Certification and could
precipitate compensatory mitigation.
14 The 401 Water Quality Certification application will need to, specifically address the proposed
methods for stormwater management. More specifically, stormwater shall not be permitted to
discharge directly into streams or surface waters.
15 Based on the information presented in the document, the magnitude of impacts to wetlands and
streams may require an Nationwide Permit application to the Corps of Engineers and corresponding
401 Water Quality Certification. Please be advised that a 401 Water Quality Certification requires
satisfactory protection of water quality to ensure that water quality standards are met and no
wetland or stream uses are lost. Final permit authorization will require the submittal of a formal
application by the applicant and written concurrence from NCDWQ. Please be aware that any
A p X_WA
NC®ENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Pat McCrory Charles Wakild, P. E. John Skvarla III
Governor Director Secretary
approval will be contingent on appropriate avoidance and minimization of wetland and stream
impacts to the maximum extent practical, the development of an acceptable stormwater
management plan, and the inclusion of appropriate mitigation plans where appropriate.
16 If concrete is used during construction, a dry work area shall be maintained to prevent direct contact
between curing concrete and stream water. Water that inadvertently contacts uncured concrete shall
not be discharged to surface waters due to the potential for elevated pH and possible aquatic life and
fish kills.
17 If temporary access roads or detours are constructed, the site shall be graded to its preconstruction
contours and elevations. Disturbed areas shall be seeded or mulched to stabilize the soil and
appropriate native woody species shall be planted. When using temporary structures the area shall
be cleared but not grubbed. Clearing the area with chain saws, mowers, bush -hogs, or other
mechanized equipment and leaving the stumps and root mat intact allows the area to re- vegetate
naturally and minimizes soil disturbance.
18 Uless otherwise authorized, placement of culverts and other structures in waters and streamsshall be
placed below the elevation of the streambed by one foot for all culverts with a diameter greater than
48 inches, and 20 percent of the culvert diameter for culverts having a diameter less than 48 inches,
to allow low flow passage of water and aquatic life. Design and placement of culverts and other
structures including temporary erosion control measures shall not be conducted in a manner that
may result in dis- equilibrium of wetlands or streambeds or banks, adjacent to or upstream and down
stream of the above structures. The applicant is required to provide evidence that the equilibrium is
being maintained if requested in writing by NCDWQ. If this condition is unable to be met due to
bedrock or other limiting features encountered during construction, please contact NCDWQ for
guidance on how to proceed and to determine whether or not a permit modification will be required.
19 If multiple pipes or barrels are required, they shall be designed to mimic natural stream cross
section as closely as possible including pipes or barrels at flood plain elevation, floodplain benches,
and /or sills may be required where appropriate. Widening the stream channel should be avoided.
Stream channel widening at the inlet or outlet end of structures typically decreases water velocity
causing sediment deposition that requires increased maintenance and disrupts aquatic life passage.
20 If foundation test borings are necessary; it shall be noted in the document. Geotechnical work is
approved under General 401 Certification Number 3687/Nationwide Permit No. 6 for Survey
Activities.
21 Sediment and erosion control measures sufficient to protect water resources must be implemented
and maintained in accordance with the most recent version of North Carolina Sediment and Erosion
Control Planning and Design Manual and the most recent version of NCS000250.
22 All work in or adjacent to stream waters shall be conducted in a dry work area. Approved BMP
measures from the most current version of NCDOT Construction and Maintenance Activities
A�
NC®ENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Pat McCrory Charles Wakild, P. E. John Skvarla III
Governor Director Secretary
manual such as sandbags, rock berms, cofferdams and other diversion structures shall be used to
prevent excavation in flowing water.
23 While the use of National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps, NC Coastal Region Evaluation of
Wetland Significance (NC- CREWS) maps and soil survey maps are useful tools, their inherent
inaccuracies require that qualified personnel .perform onsite wetland delineations prior to permit
approval.
24 Heavy equipment should be operated from the bank rather than in stream channels in order to
minimize sedimentation and reduce the likelihood of introducing other pollutants into streams. This
equipment shall be inspected daily and maintained to prevent contamination of surface waters from
leaking fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, or other toxic materials.
25 Riprap shall not be placed in the active thalweg channel or placed in the streambed in a manner that
precludes aquatic life passage. Bioengineering boulders or structures should be properly designed,
sized and installed.
26 Riparian vegetation (native trees and shrubs) shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible.
Riparian vegetation must be reestablished within the construction limits of the project by the end of
the growing season following completion of construction.
Thank you for requesting our input at this time. The applicant is reminded that issuance of a 401 Water
Quality Certification requires that appropriate measures be instituted to ensure that water quality
standards are met and designated uses are not degraded or lost. If you have any questions or require
additional information, please contact Rob Ridings at 919- 804 -6403.
cc: Eric Alsmeyer, US Army Corps of Engineers, Raleigh Field Office
Kristen Dwiggins, PE, Town of Cary
File Copy
i
To:
From
Date
Crystal Best, NC State Clearinghouse
Renee Gledhill - Earley, NCDCR
Steve Taynton, DPI
Rob Ridings, NCDENR — DWQ
Travis Wilson, WRC — East
Linda Pearsall, NHP
Jessie O'Neal Baker, NCDENR — DMF
Brian Strong, Div. of Parks and
Recreation
Clarence Coleman, FHWA
Felix Davila, FHWA
Michael Smith, NCDOT Board Member
Vernon Cox, NC Ag. Dev. &
Farmland Preservation Trust Fund
Chris Militscher, USEPA
Ed Johnson, CAMPO
Marta Matthews, NCDOT
Kristen Dwiggins, PE; Town of Cary
Transportation Engineering Supervisor
March 1, 2013
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Gary Jordan, USFWS
Eric Alsmeyer, USACE
Amy Simes, NCDENR
Ahmad Al- Sharawneh, NCDOT —
PDEA
Roger Thomas, NCDOT — RDU
James Mason, NCDOT — NEU
Harrison Marshall, NCDOT — HEU
Mack Bailey, NCDOT — SDU
Matt Lauffer, NCDOT - HYDRO
Wally Bowman, NCDOT — Division 5
Tim Bailey — TOC - Engineering
Laura Cove, TOC — Engineering
Jerry Jensen, TOC — Engineering
Juliet Andes, TOC — Planning
Doug McRainey, TOG— PRCR
Russell H. Dalton, Town of Apex
Subject: Project Initiation and Agency Scoping for the Widening of Green Level West Road,
Town of Cary, Wake County, Town Project ST1206, NCDOT TIP No. U -5500, WBS
45487.1.1, Federal Aid Number STPDA - 1650(6)
The Town of Cary is starting the project development, environmental, and engineering studies for the
proposed improvements to SR 1615 (Green Level West Road), from NC Highway 55 at High House
Road to SR 1625 (Green Level Church Road), excluding the area already widened with the recently
completed interchange with I -540 (Western Wake Freeway /Outer Loop). The majority of the lands in the
study area are within Cary's Corporate Limits or within Cary's Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). A
small portion of the project area is located in the Town of Apex's ETJ. Attached for your review and
comment is a proposed study area map for the subject project.
This project is included in the 2012 -2018 NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as
Project U -5500 and the Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's ( CAMPO) 2035 LRTP as
Project A171. The purpose of this improvement project is to widen Green Level West Road from the
current 60 -foot right -of -way (ROW) with shoulder sections to a four -lane, median - divided, 112 -foot
ROW facility with bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The proposed'study will evaluate two separate
typical cross sections for the project - Rural Thoroughfare (RT) (which includes shoulders and ditches)
TOWN Of CARY
316 North Academy Street •Cary, NC 27513•PO Box 8605•Cary, NC 27512 -8005
te1919- 469 -4030 • fax 919- 460 -4935• www.townofcary.org
west of I -540; and, Urban Thoroughfare (UT) (which includes curb and gutter) east of I -540. The Town
may evaluate UT standards for the area west of 1 -540, as well. The facility will be designed with no
dedicated bike lanes; however, bicycles would be accommodated within wide outside lanes for the UT
sections and wide shoulders for the RT sections.
The study will consider several build alternatives, including potential shifts in the widening footprint to
avoid or minimize significant human and'environmental impacts, as well as a "no- build" alternative.
Depending on the results of the project's traffic analysis, an additional alternative that only considers
widening to the east of I -540 may be included in the EA, if forecasted traffic is determined to be
insufficient to justify widening west of I -540.
Several streams and wetland areas exist in the project area. Natural resource studies for the project will
include field identification of biotic resources including protected species, delineation of jurisdictional
waters (including wetlands) and streams, and field verification and coordination with the US Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and NC Division of Water Quality, as
needed. Study results will be included in a Natural Resources Technical Memorandum.
Several historic resources listed in or previously determined eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places (NRHP) are located within the Green Level West Road project study area, as well as several state
study list resources. This includes one NRHP- Listed district (Green Level National Historic District) as
well as several properties over 50 years in age that either have been recorded but not evaluated for their
NRHP potential or are unrecorded, above - ground properties which require evaluation to determine their
NRHP eligibility. Cultural resource studies for the project will involve review of the North Carolina State
Historic Preservation Office (NCHPO) and Town of Cary's historic property databases, performance of
architectural reconnaissance studies (if needed) and intensive -level architectural evaluation (if required),
as well as establishment of the project's Area of Potential Effect (APE) and coordination with the
NCHPO. Investigations shall comply with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation's current
Guidelines for Survey Reports for Historic Architectural Resources. Coordination with the Office of State
Archaeology is expected, and a Phase IA archaeological resource reconnaissance study will be completed
to note areas with the potential for intact soils that may require Phase IB subsurface survey.
An environmental document (anticipated to be an Environmental Assessment) will be prepared for this
project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of this letter is
to initiate coordination with federal, state and local agencies and solicit comments on the proposed
project.
We would appreciate any information you might have that would be helpful in determining potential
resources in the project study area or in evaluating potential environmental impacts from the project. If
applicable, please identify any permits or approvals that may be required by your agency /department.
An agency scoping meeting is scheduled for this project on March 27, 2013 at 2:30 PM at the Cary
Town Hall in the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department Conference Room (Room
11130). We invite you to attend this meeting to discuss background data, preliminary purpose and need,
engineering, environmental screening results, the proposed scope of the project and any potential
substantial issues. Please provide written comments by April 18, 2013 via mail or email (addresses
below).
Thank you for your assistance in the project development process. If you have any questions concerning
the project, please contact me at (919) 462 -3930, or by email at kristen.dwiggins(n,townofcary.org or
Michelle Suverkrubbe with Michael Baker Engineering at (919) 481 -5729, or by email at
msuverkrubbe(cDmbakerco .com.
z
Please include the project name, "Green Level West Road _Widening" in all correspondence and
comments.
Thank you,
Kristen Dwiggins, PE
Att: Green Level West Widening - 'Project Study Area Map
KD /td
cc: Michael Baker Engineering, 8000 Regency Parkway, Suite 600, Cary, NC 27518
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Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Project Review Form
Project Number: 13 -0338 County: Wake Date Received: 03/07/2013
Diie�Dafe� -4%l%2
Project Description: Scoping - Proposed project is for improvements to SR 1615 - Green Level
West Road from NC 55 at High House Road to SR 1625 - Green Level Church
Road.
Phis Project is being reviewed as indicated below:
Regional Office
Regional Office Area
In -House Review
Asheville
✓
Air
Air Quality
_Coastal Management
Fayetteville
✓
Water
_ Marine Fisheries
_ Military Affairs
Mooresville
Aquifer Protection
✓ Parks & Recreation
_ Water Quality
✓ Raleigh
v/
Land Quality Engineer
Waste Mgmt
v/ Water Quali — DOT;
Washington
✓
UST
Water Resources Mgmt
_ Wildlife
Wilmington
✓ Water Supply Section
✓ Wildlife — DOT Travis Wilson
Winston -Salem
Manager Sign- Off /Region:
Response (check all applicable)
In -House Reviewer /Agency:
No objection to project as proposed. _ No Comment
_ Insufficient information to complete review _ Other (specify or attach comments)
�l�41 y
If you have any questions, please contact: 10/�
Lyn Hardison at lyn.hardison(a)ncdenr.gov or (252) 948 -3842.