HomeMy WebLinkAboutRevised Landscape & Site Plans ltr Oj ce b t u O
W rinel!
City of ON G° DEPT. OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
July 12, 2001
Keith Lash
The Schneider Corp.
12821 E. New Market St
Suite 100
Carmel, IN 46032
RE: The Townhomes at City Center
Dear Keith:
Thank you for the submittal of revised landscape and site plans during our meeting on
Tuesday, July 10. I have reviewed the changes, and have a few additional comments:
1. In your letter dated July 6, 2001, you address my three of my previous comments,
and those solutions are satisfactory.
2. Your addition of "tree pits" covered by grates in the parking lots raises several
concerns. While always trying to encourage the addition of trees to urban
landscapes and parking lots, the type of installation you propose does not appear
to be planned with the health of the plant material in mind. There are no planting
details provided with the plans for tree pit installation. These are required. This
type of planting is an extremely harsh environment for plant material. In order for
any tree to survive, let alone flourish, special planting requirements and increased
maintenance are needed. Even if a large tree species is chosen for planting (you
have specified Ginko biloba mature height 50 -80'), the plants will be extremely
stressed and limited in their growth because root restrictions and harsh growing
conditions.
In short, I do not think that these tree pits will provide the growing habitat needed
to attain the plant health the Townhomes would like to see. If you desire to
pursue this type of planting, please provide planting details that will provide
adequate space and soil conditions for the plant material chosen to be healthy and
grow to maturity. These details might include larger planting areas, constructed
soils, etc.
3. I have spoken to Andrew Pelloso of the IDEM Water Quality Section (317 -233-
2481) about discharge of parking lot storm water into adjacent wetlands. It is my
understanding that as long as no construction takes place within the wetlands, no
construction permits are required. He did point out however that in the event that
the wetlands were damaged or disturbed by the discharge from the parking lot, the
ONE CIVIC SQUARE CARMEL, INDIANA 46032 317/571 -2417
parking lot owners would be liable for cleanup and restoration of the damage. He
advised that with the Phase II Water Quality Standards shortly coming into effect,
at the minimum he would ask that some type of settling basin with an oil /grease
separator be installed to pretreat the discharge into the wetlands. For the
preservation of this natural resource, the Department would request those
structures be added at this time.
Please reply to these comments in writing and by amended plan. Please contact me at
317 -571 -2478 to discuss these comments, or if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
liter/
Scott Brewer
Urban Forester, City of Carmel
CC: Mike Hollibaugh, director DOCS
Jon Dobosiewicz, DOCS
John South, HCSWCD
Andrew Pelloso, IDEM, Water Quality Section