20200349 Ver 3_00_BlueRidge_PCN Cover Letter_20220823

Kimley>>> Horn
August 18, 2022
Mr. Lyle Phillips
U.S.Army Corps of Engineers
Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Mr. Rob Ridings
NC Division of Water Resources
401 & Buffer Transportation Permitting Unit
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 2799-1617
RE: Nationwide Permit 14 Reauthorization-Blue Ridge Road(SR 1670) Widening(SAW-2018-
00496;DWR#20200349 ver 2)
City of Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Dear Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ridings:
On behalf of our client, the City of Raleigh, Kimley-Horn is submitting the attached application for
reauthorization under Nationwide Permit (NWP) 14 for the Blue Ridge Road (SR 1670)Widening project in
Wake County, NC. The existing NWP 14 (SAW-2018-00496)was previously issued by Lyle Phillips of the
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on May 5, 2020 and the associated 401 General Water Quality
Certification 4135 (DWR# 20200349 ver 2) and Neuse Buffer Authorization was previously issued by Rob
Ridings of the NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) on July 1, 2021. Due to unforeseen scheduling
conflicts, construction of the project has not started, and the project cannot be completed within the 12-
month grace period following the expiration of this permit on March 18, 2022. In addition, the City of
Raleigh has received funding through the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Locally Administered
Projects Program (LAPP) for the northern half of the project. The LAPP funded portion of the project
extends from north of Homewood Banks Drive to Crabtree Valley Avenue (TIP# HL-0052). The overall
project proposes to widen Blue Ridge Road (SR 1670) from Duraleigh Road to Glenwood Avenue and
construct a grade separated greenway crossing below Blue Ridge Road to improve pedestrian and vehicle
safety. There have been no design changes made to the proposed project since the previous
authorizations and, therefore, impact quantities and impact types to jurisdictional features have not
changed.
Rob Ridings of the NCDWR sent Kimley-Horn a Request for Information (RFI) on March 17, 2020 and
Kimley-Horn responded via phone and email on March 24, 2020. Rob Ridings issued the Section 401
Permit on March 25, 2020. Lyle Phillips of the USACE sent Kimley-Horn an RFI on March 23, 2020 and
Kimley-Horn sent a response combined with a Section 404/401 Permit Modification Request on April 23,
2020. This Section 404/401 Permit Modification was approved by the NCDWR on May 7, 2020 and by the
USACE on May 5, 2020. Following this approval, Kimley-Horn requested a correction to the compensatory
mitigation section of the issued permit on July 1, 2021. Documentation of these RFIs and modifications has
been attached as part of this reauthorization request.

Kim ey>>> Horn Page 2
Kimley-Horn staff delineated the project study area on February 1, 2018 and identified two perennial
streams (Crabtree Creek and House Creek). A Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination Request (SAW
2018-00496) was submitted to Tasha Alexander of the USACE on March 2, 2018 and was confirmed via
email on April 17, 2018. The official Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination letter was issued on May 5,
2020 with the previously issued Section 404 Nationwide Permit for the project. Andy Neal of the NCDWR
issued a Buffer Determination Letter (RRO #18-077) on March 15, 2018. Documentation for both
determinations, the previously issued NWP 14 verification, and the previously issued 401 General Water
Quality Certification 4135 and Neuse Buffer Authorization are attached as part of this reauthorization
request.
Impacts to jurisdictional features have been avoided and minimized to the extent practicable by
intentionally aligning the roadway within existing right-of-way as often as possible and tightening the fill
slopes within jurisdictional features to reduce the limits of disturbance. Where possible, grass ditches will
be utilized to intercept and slow stormwater drainage, retaining walls will be constructed to protect adjacent
streams, and fill slopes have been tightened to 2:1 to avoid additional impacts to features. The proposed
culvert has been sized to allow for high-flow events and will be buried to allow aquatic movement through
the system. A 12" water line that will need to be relocated was designed to be located below Blue Ridge
Road in order to reduce permanent impacts to the Neuse River Basin riparian buffers of House Creek.
Unavoidable permanent impacts to House Creek will result from the replacement of an existing culvert, rip
rap outlet protection, and bank stabilization to support the proposed road widening and greenway
realignment. The replacement of an existing culvert as part of the road widening will result in 72 linear feet
(0.0192 acre)of permanent impacts to House Creek.All three culvert barrels will be buried 1 foot below the
stream bed as to not impede normal baseflow and will allow for the movement of aquatic species within the
stream. Additionally, streambank stabilization to support the proposed road widening will result in 251
linear feet (0.0672 acre) of permanent, no net loss of waters or aquatic function to House Creek. There are
two types of proposed streambank stabilization that would result in permanent stream impacts to House
Creek. At the proposed inlet and outlet of the culvert that runs under Blue Ridge Road, Class II rip rap will
be keyed-in to the banks only and not the streambed. No rip rap will be placed within the streambed. In the
uppermost section of House Creek, the stream banks will be graded back, and live stakes will be installed
to create a more stable channel and prevent erosion along the reach. 106 linear feet (0.0228 acre) of
temporary impacts to House Creek will occur as a result of construction access as part of the culvert
replacement and streambank stabilization. Temporary impacts will be restored to pre-construction
conditions upon completion of the proposed project.
Unavoidable permanent impacts to the protected riparian buffers associated with House Creek will result
from the proposed roadway widening and sections of parallel roadway, streambank stabilization,
realignment of the adjacent greenway system, and modifications to existing utilities. Temporary impacts to
House Creek buffers will occur as a result of construction access as part of the roadway widening. To
offset the buffer losses resulting from the proposed roadway impacts, in accordance with the previously
issued Buffer Neuse Authorization, a total of 49,623.00 sq. ft. of riparian buffer credits have been
purchased from Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC (RES) from their EBX-Neuse I, LLC Mitigation
Bank (Polecat Site and Hannah Bridge Site). The Mitigation Credit Transfer Certificates from RES are
attached as part of this permit application package.

Kim ey>>> Horn Page 3
In accordance with the previously issued Section 404/401 Permit, compensatory mitigation at a 1:1 ratio for
the 72 linear feet of permanent impacts to House Creek due to the culvert replacement was purchased
from NC Division of Mitigation Services (NCDMS) In-Lieu Fee Program (DMS ID# MR-07457) on May 11,
2021, and the NCDMS Compensatory Mitigation Responsibility Transfer Form (MRTF) is attached as part
of this permit application package. Compensatory mitigation is not proposed for the permanent, no net loss
of water impacts to House Creek resulting from the streambank stabilization associated with the project.
To assist with the processing of this application, the following information is included:
• Signed Agent Authorization Form
• Figures
• Stream Data Forms
• NC Stream Assessment Method Form
• Signed Buffer Determination Letter
• Previously Issued Section 404 NWP 14 Verification
• Previously Issued Section 401 General Water Quality Certification and Neuse Buffer Authorization
• Permit Impact Drawings
• NCDWR Request for Information (March 17, 2020) Response
• USACE Request for Information (March 23, 2020) Response and Permit Modification Request
• Correction to Mitigation Section of Issued Permit(July 1, 2021)
• NCDMS MRTF
• Mitigation Credit Transfer Certificates from RES
• Plan Sheets
If there is any additional information you need to assist in the processing of this NWP application, please
do not hesitate to contact me at(919)678-4154 or [e-mail]
Sincerely,
Mackenzie Richards, PWS
Environmental Analyst