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Home My WebLink AboutHMP Habitat Managment Plan - 9/1/2006 NN TUCOOT EOM ANY P LA Wetland and Wildlife Consulting Services 416 S.Washington St.,Suite 202 Olympia,WA 98501 (360)352-9897 FAX(360)352-9914 T71,7 tam i HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN �F ;> FOR THE WATKINS PROPERTY Mason County Tax Parcel No. 220261090085 SEPTEMBER 2006 Prepared for: John Watkins 21232 1" Avenue S Des Moines,WA 98198 prepared by: -Aktk%, t�letlagasc++l N S. Shanewise,PWS sws Senior Ecologist Watksp06hmp Jrr� OCT 7 CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................I Methods..................................................................................I Results Existing Conditions............................................................2 SitePhotographs ................................................................3 ProposedUse .....................................................................4 Impact Assessment.............................................................4 Recommendations..............................................................5 rFigure 1. Plan View Site Map INTRODUCTION This Habitat Management Plan has been prepared to address the construction of a single family home along waterfront property on Harstine Island within the 100-foot shoreline setback for the OHWM of Puget Sound. The property supports a forested, upland habitat with no wetland or stream conditions. The project proposal calls for constructing an elevated home placed on poles within an area that had been cleared of trees in the past by the previous landowners. A pole structure built within the preferred location would require little to no earthwork or removal of additional trees, and would keep the existing ground canopy of vegetation intact. In contrast, constructing the home outside the 100- foot shoreline setback would require the removal of a significant number of additional trees as well as earthwork necessary to access the home. Locating the home closer to the shoreline would not increase the potential for future armoring of the beach because this property is well protected from wave erosion. The adjacent neighbor, whose home is placed outside the 100-foot setback, is supportive of building on this property at the preferred site. Within this property, allowing the pole home to be built at the proposed site within the 100-foot setback would cause less environmental harm than placing it outside this buffer dimension. For this reason, the only mitigation compensation recommended for obtaining a variance to build within the setback is to provide irrigation to the landscape beneath the structure so existing vegetation will be maintained. METHODS Field Review Field review of this property was performed February 26, 2006. Home Design Detailed schematic designs of the proposed pole home structure were provided by Mort James Architect to enable assessment of the potential for environmental impacts. WATKINS HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY - I - RESULTS EXISTING CONDITIONS Saltwater Shoreline This property is a 1-acre parcel located along the Puget Sound shoreline on Harstine Island. Mason County Critical Area Ordinances require a 100-foot building setback from the OHWM of the saltwater shoreline. Upland Forest Landscape This property supports a forested, upland landscape with no stream or wetland conditions. Dominant trees are young, even-aged Douglas' fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii), with a ground canopy dominated by salal (Gaultheria shallon). The shrub canopy is sparse, primarily because the previously dominant species, Scot's broom (Cytisus scoparius)has been largely eliminated by the landowners. Landscape Trough Topography This property has moderately steep topography that descends from three sides towards a centralized landscape trough. Although prominent within the landscape, this trough does not support a stream condition, and has never been observed to carry even temporary surface water flows during major precipitation events. Low Erosion Shoreline The potential for shoreline erosion along the waterfront of this property is extremely low. There is a large gravel beach berm mounded in front of the upland bank that protects the shore from wave erosion. Furthermore, the shoreline is on the west side of Harstine Island and is well protected from any significant fetch across water where large waves could build-up during storms. Previously Cleared Home Site A building site was cleared of trees in the past by the previous landowners in anticipation of constructing a home (Photograph 1). Other portions of the property where a home could potentially be built still support the original stand of Douglas fir trees (Photograph 2). Septic and Well Installed A well and a septic system with drainfield have been previously permitted and installed on site. WATKINS HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY -2- / r. �* r�. ..., J lip• � c• vE. � r \ j_ xlnq ! 1 4 � �-rill{-4, - »� ,� J• A.J� F 4 a( axyM' WA •' W w K ! 3+. .,"4s ram• j+ , < t ,, '+ 4,z pt7 y yapl!r•w�r•�,n, l 1 1 — • . PROPOSED USE Single Family Home (Figure 1) Project proposal calls for constructing a single family home. It is anticipated that the near term use of the home will be for recreational/vacation purposes, and become the owner's full time residence upon their retirement. Site Sensitive Design The current landowners intend to use a"site sensitive" design approach that will minimize not only the impacts to existing trees, but to the ground as well. The planned "pole" structure home that will straddle the landscape trough, should require a minimum of earthwork, and likely no use of fill material. There will also be no lawn or other landscaping associated with the home, as the landowners prefer instead to promote the growth of native shrubs and trees requiring no irrigation or significant maintenance. IMPACT ASSESSMENT No Tree Removal at Preferred Home Site If the preferred home site is used for building, no additional trees will be removed. However, if the home site is located outside the 100-foot shoreline setback, this would require the removal of a significant number of existing trees because this area was not previously cleared. No Machinery Earthwork for Pole Structure Home Construction of the planned pole structure home would require little to no machinery earthwork on the site. The entire structure would be erected on a series of pilings that could be installed by making a single bore hole for each piling. All other ground surface would remain intact and undisturbed. Ground Buffer Intact Although a pole structure home placed within the preferred, previously cleared building site would technically be within the 100-foot shoreline setback, functionally, the ground surface "buffer" within the full setback would still be maintained. Because the house will be completely elevated up to a height of 20 feet above existing ground level, the only disturbance to existing ground conditions within the 100-foot setback will be the few square feet associated with each piling. In essence, the full setback will still be maintained in its existing condition at ground level. WATKINS HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY -4- r No Shoreline Protection Needed There is virtually no potential for additional, future shoreline protection from erosion at this site. Existing beach conditions already provide excellent protection to the shore, and the potential for significant wave erosion simply doesn't exist due to the location of the property in a sheltered area on Puget Sound. Hence, the preferred home site situated within the 100-foot shoreline setback will not create a potential need for future, additional protection from erosion. No Neighbor Opposition One of the two adjacent shoreline line lots has an existing home located outside the 100- foot shoreline setback. However, this landowner has no opposition to the placement of a home on this property that is closer to the shoreline. Indeed, the neighbor is actually highly supportive of the proposed low impact home design and construction technique. The other adjacent lot is undeveloped. r r r r r r r r r r WATKINS HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN THE COOT COMPANY - 5 - r Toe of Slope — ;... 100'Buffer Ordinary High Water tvlark Top of Bluff 30 � f t '' ��rt>t �`' •1 c 7 �j Garage I Shop/Studio ►' ` Pha e II`Elev 60.0 $ FRIU t a Raba q/ { t Buff Ph set 6 IDGE U-12v{lge r $ r IPAIt!S�rucliY aCUon -- ,.� i r ef.er F u r 1 r Pha e III , L ; Cabin - I 2Q Side Yar, \L EfA 20 �0 r FIGURE 1: PLAN VIEW SITE MAP - WATKINS r r