Project Impact Statement- Gilboa Court Extension Definitive Subdivision

Project Impact Statement- Gilboa Court Extension ~ Definitive Subdivision

Environmental Impacts: The proposed project is not anticipated to have a significant adverse effect on the environment. The project does propose tree and vegetation clearing as well as proposes the construction of residential structures and paved surfaces. To address storm water quality and potential for erosion and sedimentation, the project design incorporates the integration of infiltration basins to effectively treat and address impacts to storm water quality. Grading associated with the project will be stabilized and vegetated to further reduce the potential for erosion and sedimentation, as well as provide overland runoff conveyance which provides additionally opportunity for vegetation to reduce runoff flow rates and reduces the capability of runoff to carry and transport pollutants and sediment. The project design also will provide natural vegetated buffers to resource areas and clearing is limited to the maximum extent practicable.

Water Supply Impacts: The proposed project is not anticipated to adversely impact water supply. The proposed project design intends to utilize public water supply service to each of the five (5) proposed residential building. As such, no new potable water supply wells are proposed. The additional residential water demand resulting from the additional residential structures is not anticipated to over burden the existing public water supply or existing water supply infrastructure. The proposed project design also intends to utilize subsurface sewage disposal systems for the proposed residential structures. The proposed septic systems will be designed to meet the requirements of Title V and will require the Town of Douglas, Board of Health to review and approve the septic designs for each residence, prior to issuance of septic permits to ensure that proposed systems are designed to meet all relevant requirements in effort to provide adequate health and safety for the local residents and surrounding community.

Drainage Impacts: The proposed project has been designed to satisfy the Massachusetts’ DEP requirements for storm water quality as indicated and prescribed in the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook. As such the storm water management system proposed for the project will ensure that peak flow rates from the proposed project are mitigated to pre-developed condition flow rates, proposed impervious surfaces are adequately treated for total suspended solids removal and storm water recharge volume, and an Operation and Maintenance manual (with maintenance and repair protocol’s identified) will provide provisions and direction specific to the maintaining project site in effort to provide in perpetuity a properly maintained and full functioning storm water management system.

Sewage Disposal Impacts: As stated in the water supply impacts section, the proposed project design intends to utilize subsurface sewage disposal systems for the proposed residential structures. The proposed septic systems will be designed to meet the requirements of Title V and will require the Town of Douglas, Board of Health to review and approve the septic designs for each residence, prior to issuance of septic permits to ensure that proposed systems are designed to meet all relevant requirements in effort to provide adequate health and safety for the local residents and surrounding community. As such the project should have no adverse effect on the environment as a result of sewage disposal impacts.

Soils/Topographic Impacts: The proposed project design, while proposing graded slopes, was prepared with a goal of balancing earthwork volumes to the maximum extent practicable. Generally the grading design for the project limits earthwork within the limits of grading to provide suitable pads for the construction of proposed residences, paved access and utility and utility services. In effort to further reduce erosion potential, there was a goal of providing a grading design that eliminates the need for excessive slopes.. Existing soils within the site will be utilized where possible to limit the need for additional offsite material to be brought to the site for use as fill, and in situ soil materials are consistent within the limit of work so soils that are moved from within the limit of work will not be inconsistent with native materials that they are placed over.

Traffic Impacts: The proposed project design is not anticipated to generate significant traffic impacts; in fact it is presumed that the proposed project design will provide a benefit to the surrounding community with regards to traffic. The proposed project design intends to widen the existing Gilboa Court in the vicinity of the project entrance, and maintain a minimum eighteen (18) foot pavement width. The project design incorporates the development and construction of five (5) additional residential structures and is not anticipated to have a significant impact on vehicular trip counts along Gilboa Court. Additionally, Gilboa Court in its current existing condition has not been improved with a proper terminus and does not maintain a minimum required pavement width (existing pavement width approximately 14 feet at its narrowest point in the vicinity of the project entrance). As such the existing conditions of Gilboa Court present an obstacle to vehicular traffic wishing to reverse direction at the end of Gilboa Court. The project design incorporates the construction of one-hundred (100) foot diameter cul-de-sac to provide means for vehicular traffic to reverse direction, which will allow emergency service vehicles, school buses, Town maintenance vehicles, service providers (ie trash & recycling services) better access and ease of navigation of Gilboa Court. The project design also proposes widening a portion of existing Gilboa Court and maintain a min. of eighteen (18) foot pavement width, which will improve vehicular traffic flow and reduce conflicts with on-coming traffic.

School Impacts: The proposed project design intends to add five (5) residential dwellings. As such the project would have the potential of adding additional school age children to the community. However, it is presumed that number school aged children of the families that potentially will purchase and ultimately live in the proposed homes will not have a significant impact on the existing school system and its associated resources.

Natural and Cultural Resource Impacts: The proposed project site does not appear to be located within Natural and or Cultural resource areas. Comparison of the proposed project site with mapped Natural Heritage resource areas indicates that the are no known natural or cultural resource areas that mandate additional protection. The project site does have wetland resources located within it and the associated resource area buffers will be maintained. Additionally, the project design was prepared with the goal of minimizing project impacts to the surrounding area and in particular storm water management and septic systems have been proposed to further reduce the project impacts to natural and cultural resources.