20211478 Ver 1_02 - Oasis Church PCN Cover Letter Final (1)_20211008

SAGE
ECOLOGICAL
SERVICES
E5
.21116
September 23, 2021
US Army Corps of Engineers
Raleigh Regulatory Office
Attn: Mr. Lyle Phillips
3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105
Wake Forest, NC 27587
NC Division of Water Resources
401 & Buffer Permitting Unit
512 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27604
Re: Oasis Church
Request for NWP 39, GC 4263, and Neuse River Riparian Buffer Authorization
Sage Project #2018.27
On behalf of Holly Springs Foursquare Church dba "Oasis Church"(applicant), please find attached a complete
application and supplemental information requesting written concurrence from the US Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) that the activities associated with the proposed development of the Oasis Church Project (Project) may
proceed under Nationwide Permit (NWP) 39 and General Certification (GC) 4263. A Neuse River Riparian Buffer
Authorization is also requested.
Protect Purpose and Location
The Project includes the construction of Oasis Church with associated amenities, stormwater controls and
parking to provide a permanent meeting space for the congregation. The +/-8.29-acre, one -parcel tract is located
southeast of the intersection of Ralph Stephens Road and Castaway Court in Holly Springs, Wake County, NC.
The coordinates of 35.6332°N, 78.8395°W generally correspond to the center of the Site.
Project Detail
The proposed Project consists of construction of the Oasis Church with associated amenities, stormwater
controls and parking. Access to the Site will be provided via Ralph Stevens Road and Castaway Court. Municipal
water and sewer are available to the site. Heavy equipment typically used for utility installation projects (e.g.,
backhoes, bulldozers, etc.) will be utilized.
No federally threatened or endangered species are listed to occur on or within 1 mile of the Project according to
the NC Natural Heritage Program (NHP) Database (see attached report dated September 20, 2021).
The Site itself is not listed as a historic property. There are five historic properties located within 1.0 mile of the
Site based on a query of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (NCSHPO) database. Three are
listed as "Surveyed Only" and two are listed as "Surveyed Only -Gone". Figure 4 depicts the locations of these
properties in relation to the Site.
Protect History
The site is primarily undeveloped and mostly wooded. Surrounding areas are rural to suburban with a mix of
farmland, undeveloped wooded areas, and a few residential subdivisions. Mr. David Gainey of Sage Ecological
Services, Inc., performed a wetland and stream delineation. An NCDWR Buffer Determination Letter was issued
on September 11, 2019 (NBRRO #19-253).
Avoidance and Minimization
The site was designed to reduce impacts to streams, wetlands, and riparian buffers on the Site. There are 1.814
acres of onsite wetlands of which only 0.146 acres are proposed to be permanently impacted. There are 675
linear feet of onsite stream of which only 119 linear feet are proposed to be permanently impacted.
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Protect Impacts
There are 1.814 acres of onsite wetlands of which only 0.146 acre are proposed to be permanently impacted and
0.054 acre are proposed to be temporarily ijmpacted. There are 675 linear feet of onsite stream of which only
119 linear feet are proposed to be permanently impacted. Wetland and stream impacts are the result of proposed
road crossing and associated fill slopes. Permanent riparian buffer impacts total 7,077 sf in Zone 1 and 6,282 sf
in Zone 2 for fill slopes. Temporary riparian buffer impacts total 466 sf in Zone 1 and 424 sf in Zone 2 due to fill
slopes. No other impacts are proposed.
Mitigation
Permanent wetland impacts of 0.146 will be mitigated. Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC, will provide 0.15
riparian wetland mitigation credits for the project. Buffer impacts are considered "Allowable Upon Authorization"
per the Table of Uses and buffer impacts are well below mitigation thresholds.
If you have any questions, please call me at [phone].
Respectfully submitted:
Sean Clark
Sage Ecological Services, Inc.
Attachments:
Pre -construction Notification (PCN) Application Form
PCN Cover Letter
Agent Authorization Form
Figure 1-USGS Site Vicinity Map
Figure 2-Soil Survey Site Vicinity Map
Figure 3-PJD Wetland Sketch Map
Figure 4-NCSHPO Map
NCNHP Database Report
Impact Maps
USACE ORM Spreadsheet
USACE PJD Approval
NCDWR Buffer Determination Letter (NBRRO #19-253)
Ian McMillan
Sage Ecological Services, Inc.
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