20190906 Ver 1_Additional Information Request_20190723

Strickland, Bev
From: Joseph Lassiter <[e-mail]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 10:09 AM
To: Pullinger, Robert C; Janice Olsen; Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US); Renaldi,
Ronald
Subject: [External] RE: Division of Water Resources (Additional Information Request) -
Olsen(206 Waterside Drive, Harbinger NC)
External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
[e-mail]
Mr. Pullinger,
I have reviewed your correspondence and spoken to Ms. Olsen concerning your request for additional justification
related to avoidance and minimization associated with proposed Section 404 wetlands fill at 206 Waterside Drive in
Harbinger, NC. I offer the following comments.
I was contacted by Ms. Olsen after she had spent months trying to market and sell her home following the death of her
husband. She now lives in Philadelphia and the cost and logistics of trying to maintain a home in Currituck County have
become a major hardship for her. She has had a number of potential buyers look at the property. They like the house
and site but each time the standing water between the home and the bulkheaded shoreline and dock have caused them
to look elsewhere.
The area proposed for fill is technically jurisdictional Section 404 wetlands but in truth it is a depressional area landward
of a bulkheaded shoreline with backfill and mostly vegetated with Phragmites. The hydrology is controlled by
groundwater and there is only flooding from the Currituck Sound during major storms and hurricanes. To further
exacerbate her problems her neighbor have filled their property and have further impounded water on her
property. There is a pile supported walkway over a portion of the wetlands but Ms. Olsen advises that during heavy
rainfall or high tide it still terminates in standing water. Ms. Olsen also feels the walkway is unsafe and is willing to
remove if she is allowed to fill. For all of these reason there is no viable way to minimize impacts associated with the
proposed fill and meet her need to make the property more attractive to potential buyers.
To offset the proposed wetlands fill we have obtained credits from the Great Dismal Swamp Mitigation Bank at a ration
of 2:1 for the unavoidable wetlands impacts at a cost of $13,000 to Ms. Olsen.
In conclusion, I submit to you that all wetlands aren't created equal and that with adequate mitigation the issuance of a
fill permit to Ms. Olsen falls with the spirit and intent of your rules.
Thanks you for your attention to this information. If you have questions or need additional information please contact
me at 252.202.3800 or at this email address. If you would like to meet onsite I am available.
Sincerely,
Joe Lassiter
Lassiter Environmental Consulting, LLC

Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Pullineer. Robert C
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2019 5:09 PM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Division of Water Resources (Additional Information Request) - Olsen(206 Waterside Drive, Harbinger NC)
Mr. Lassiter,
Please find attached an electronic courtesy/carbon copy of the request (from the Division of Water Resources) for
additional information for this project.
Chris Pullinger
Environmental Specialist II
Division of Water Resources — Water Quality Regional Operations
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
252 948 3922 office
chris.pullingera-ncdenr.gov
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889