Environmental Impact Assessment
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BLOCK 6101, LOT 45 TOWNSHIP OF LIVINGSTON ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Prepared for: Livingston Corp. Park Assocs., LLC 1480 Route 9 N., Suite 208 Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095 Prepared by: EcolSciences, Inc. 75 Fleetwood Drive, Suite 250 Rockaway, New Jersey 07866 (973) 366-9500 November 23, 2020 F:\Jobs95\HW95-117\EIS\EIS.docx TABLE OF CONTENTS ---Page I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN ..........................................................3 A. General Description ...................................................................................................... 3 B. Zoning and Planning ..................................................................................................... 3 C. Sanitary Sewage ........................................................................................................... 4 D. Potable Water Supply ................................................................................................... 4 E. Stormwater Management Facilities .............................................................................. 4 F. Utilities Plan ................................................................................................................. 4 G. Solid Waste Plan ........................................................................................................... 5 III. INVENTORY OF EXISTING NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................6 A. Geology......................................................................................................................... 6 B. Topography ................................................................................................................... 7 C. Soils .............................................................................................................................. 7 D. Ground Water Quantity and Quality ............................................................................ 9 E. Surface Water Quantity and Quality .......................................................................... 10 F. Vegetation ................................................................................................................... 11 G. Wildlife ....................................................................................................................... 12 H. Critical Environmental Features ................................................................................. 14 1. Wetlands ............................................................................................................... 14 2. Floodways and Floodplains.................................................................................. 15 I. Air Quality .................................................................................................................. 16 J. Sound Characteristics and Levels............................................................................... 17 K. Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 17 L. Aesthetics .................................................................................................................... 18 M. Cultural, Historic, and/or Archaeological Resources ................................................. 18 IV. ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ........................................................20 A. Geology....................................................................................................................... 20 B. Topography ................................................................................................................. 21 C. Soils ............................................................................................................................ 21 D. Ground Water Quantity and Quality .......................................................................... 22 E. Surface Water Quantity and Quality .......................................................................... 22 F. Vegetation ................................................................................................................... 23 G. Wildlife ....................................................................................................................... 23 H. Critical Environmental Features ................................................................................. 24 F:\Jobs95\HW95-117\EIS\EIS.docx i 1. Wetlands ............................................................................................................... 24 2. Floodways and Floodplains.................................................................................. 24 I. Air Quality .................................................................................................................. 24 J. Sound Characteristics and Levels............................................................................... 25 K. Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 25 L. Aesthetics .................................................................................................................... 25 M. Cultural, Historic, and/or Archaeological Resources ................................................. 25 V. UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS ............................................................................................27 VI. STEPS TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...............................................28 A. Soils and Surface Water Resources ............................................................................ 28 B. Air Quality .................................................................................................................. 28 C. Sound levels ................................................................................................................ 29 VII. ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................................30 VIII. LIST OF LICENSES, PERMITS AND OTHER APPROVALS ......................................31 IX. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................32 LIST OF TABLES ---Page Table 1: Essex County Soil Characteristics, Limitations, and Suitabilities ......................................... 8 LIST OF ATTACHMENTS ATTACHMENT A - FIGURES Figure 1: USGS Site Location Figure 2: 2015 Aerial Imagery Figure 3: Soils Mapping Figure 4: Landscape Project Figure 5: Historic Resources ATTACHMENT B - CORRESPONDENCE ATTACHMENT C - QUALIFICATIONS OF PREPARERS F:\Jobs95\HW95-117\EIS\EIS.docx ii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Livingston Corp. Park Assocs., LLC proposes a multi-family residential redevelopment project on a 13.875± acre site known as Block 6101, Lot 45 in the Township of Livingston, Essex County, New Jersey (referred to hereafter as “the site”). The site is bordered to the east by an unnamed tributary of the Passaic River, to the west by Cit Drive/Eisenhower Parkway, to the north by a Saint Barnabas Medical Center, and to the south by Kensington Lane. The site is occupied by an office building and associated parking area and is characterized by maintained lawn, upland woodlands, and wetlands. Some of the existing parking is utilized by Saint Barnabas hospital in accordance with the previously referenced parking agreement. An unnamed tributary of the Passaic River is located along the eastern site boundary. The site is within the Upper Passaic River watershed and Passaic River Drainage Basin. The proposed project includes the construction of a multi-family residential building that will contain a total of 166 multifamily units, which shall include 141 market rate units and 25 affordable units for low and moderate income households. In addition to the 166 multifamily units, there will be one (1) additional unit solely for an individual responsible for building maintenance, and two (2) model units. The model units will be restricted against occupancy. The units will consist of one bedroom/one bathroom, two bedroom/two bathrooms, and three bedrooms/two or 2.5 bathroom units. A swimming pool and outdoor amenity area will be located a courtyard of the proposed building. The project will be accessed by three driveways from Saint Barnabas Drive (private drive) and one driveway from Kensington Lane (private drive). A total of 462 parking spaces are proposed, which will be all surface parking. The site was currently developed with a stormwater collection system. Runoff from the proposed development will be collected by a series of inlets and catch basins and will be conveyed to two existing stormwater headwalls that discharge into the unnamed tributary of the Passaic River. The stormwater management design addresses the water quantity requirements of NJAC 7:8, and the water quality and groundwater recharge standards are not required. The principal impacts of the proposed project are those associated with the redevelopment of the site from office use to multi-family residential use. Temporary impacts will occur during the construction phase of the project and include soil loss, and increased noise and dust levels. All impacts will be minimized through appropriate mitigation procedures and best management practices. The project is located on a site designated for residential