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Tree removal list is incomplete <br />Unacceptable as that may be, half a dozen trees designated 'save' are only a couple feet from the construction entrances and/or building site pads. <br />Construction traffic and soil compaction will (slowly) kill more trees than are currently in the list for removal. A landscape architect reported on this and <br />she informed me construction traffic needs to stay outside the drip line, especially oaks (oaks are very susceptible to soil compaction issues) to avoid this <br />fate. This is confirmed by DNR fact sheets on tree protection. A builder further indicated some of these trees will need to be removed for <br />overhang/construction access. <br />Additionally, I have 3-4 significant trees trees on my property that will assuredly be killed by the creation of the northern basin[3]. <br />As such, the number of trees labeled for removal on this plan, while already tragically egregious, is lower than reality. <br />The following trees should be counted as additional removed caliper inches: <br />931 (oak, mere feet from construction entrance and permanent driveway) <br />844 (oak, mere feet from construction entrance and permanent driveway) <br />843 (oak, mere feet from construction entrance and permanent driveway) <br />873 (adjacent to basin) <br />874 (adjacent to basin) <br />875 (adjacent to basin) <br />The caliper inches of the above trees amounts an additional 91 inches that should be counted as being removed. Given these trees are so very likely to die, <br />and the homeowner will be moving before any additional penalty could be assessed (soil compaction issues can take longer than 2 years to manifest) the <br />number of total caliper inches calculated for removal should increase. This would result in increasing the replacement deficiency. <br />The "2 year checkup" is inadequate assurance for soil-compaction damage as the MN DNR information on construction damage states it can take years to <br />for soil compaction damage to appear. [17] The current owner will be long gone, surety back in hand, before any damage may show. <br />I should note that tree 925 (28" oak), 926 (26" oak) and 871 (18" box elder) will also likely die, with plenty of work being done inside their <br />dripline...however, the encroachment into the dripline is less than 25% (the the recommendation from the MN DNR is zero) and thus per-emptively saying <br />they will die might be unfair. <br />The zoning code prohibits the "routing or parking of heavy equipment, including cars, trust, and bulldozers" through the drip line of a tree. (1325.055 Subd <br />7, B, 3) Further, even the submitted plans say: "All Trees not listed for removal shall be protected. Do not operate equipment within the drip line, root <br />zones, or within tree protection fence areas".[9] The zoning code further prohibits water retention ponding to be within the dripline of trees marked as saved <br />(1325.005 Subd 6, C) during construction... yet this plan includes permanent ponding within the dripline of adjacent properties trees marked as 'saved'. <br />Mitigation plan is unacceptable <br />The proposed mitigation of this outrageous destruction of natural habitat and city character is woefully inadequate. These are large, mature, healthy trees <br />that define the city character (we are Arden Hills, after all) and add value to the whole area - mostly oaks with a few elm and cottonwoods. Of the ~30 <br />healthy trunks (some trees were marked with multiple trunks) this plan has removing, the average size is 5 and a half feet around (65 inches) at chest height. <br />[3] Some of these trees have been here since before MN was state. The mitigation plan involves replacing them with 30 trees, mostly evergreens, averaging <br />3.5 caliper inches. Even if they pay to have the trees put elsewhere or simply use some of their profits on their money grab to pay the minimal fee - you <br />can't just replace an oak tree that's nearly 10 FEET around. These large, mature trees are essential to the character of this area of Arden Hills. <br />"The tree preservation plan shall be reviewed by the city to assess the best possible layout to preserve significant trees and to enhance the efforts to <br />minimize damage to significant trees." (1325.055 Sub 2, C) -- is the city really saying this is the best plan they can come up with, or did they just accept <br />what the developer sent them? <br />It also states "Replacement trees shall be of a species similar to the trees which are lost or removed" (1325.005 Sub 6 A, 2) and "Trees planted in <br />accordance with mitigation requirements shall not be comprised of more than 25 percent of the same species or size" (1325.005 Sub 6 A, 3, a) - they are <br />removing a ton of oak, elm, box elder, and cottonwood... yet about 75% of the replacement trees are evergreens (which may make good screens for too- <br />close houses, are not in match with the character of the area), all the replacement evergreens are the same size, and about 33% (of the total) are the same <br />species. This speaks even further to the disregard for the character and preservation of trees/nature/wildlife by the developer. <br />For visualization purposes, the below image is taken from the north of the property looking southwest and shows the trees (green arrows) marked for <br />saving. The dots are trees on my property and red indicates they'll likely be killed in the creation of the northern stormwater filtration basin. Everything not <br />marked is being removed. <br />Page 9 of 12Reasons to Deny 3685 New Brighton Road Subdivision <br />3/9/2018http://joefederer.com/subdivision/Reasons.html