D07-06-15-0003 Tree Conservation Report
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March 2015 REPORT ON Tree Conservation Report in Support of Draft Plan Approval of the Former CFB Rockcliffe Lands Submitted to: Canada Lands Company CLC Limited 30 Metcalfe Street, Suite 601 Ottawa, ON K1P 5L4 Report Number: 1418293 Distribution: REPORT 2 copies - Canada Lands Company CLC Ltd. 1 CD - Canada Lands Company CLC Ltd. 11 copies - City of Ottawa 1 copy - Golder Associates Ltd. TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................................. 2 3.0 CURRENT DESIGNATIONS AND STATUS OF PLANNING APPLICATION .................................................................. 3 4.0 PROPOSED WORKS AND SCHEDULE .......................................................................................................................... 4 5.0 EXISTING TREE COVER ON-SITE .................................................................................................................................. 5 6.0 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT FEATURES ON-SITE ........................................................................................................ 12 6.1 Species at Risk and Significant Wildlife Habitat ................................................................................................. 13 7.0 PROPOSED ALTERATIONS TO TREE COVER AND IMPACTS TO ASSOCIATED NATURAL FEATURES OR FUNCTIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 14 8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ............................................................................................... 16 9.0 CLOSURE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17 10.0 REFERENCES: .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 FIGURES Figure 1: Key Plan APPENDICES APPENDIX A Maps 1 and 2 APPENDIX B List of Individual Trees March 2015 Report No. 1418293 i TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS 1.0 INTRODUCTION Golder Associates Ltd. (Golder) was retained by the Canada Lands Company CLC Ltd. (CLC) to complete a Tree Conservation Report (TCR) for the former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Rockcliffe lands, City of Ottawa, Ontario (Figure 1). The lands covered in this report include the Rockcliffe lands, as well as lands owned by the NCC (NCC lands) to the north where stormwater management facilities are contemplated. Collectively, these two areas form the Site, as shown on Figure 1. This report has been prepared in accordance with the City of Ottawa’s TCR Guidelines (Ottawa, 2014). An Environmental Impact Study (EIS) (Golder, 2015) has been prepared concurrently with this TCR for the Site, and should be read in conjunction with this report. The detailed tree inventory work conducted at the Site focused on the Rockcliffe lands, while work performed on the NCC lands has included primarily Species at Risk (SAR) surveys. The Site is currently occupied by the decommissioned military base, consisting of a network of streets within an abandoned residential area (all structures removed), with scattered patches of natural vegetation. The surrounding landscape includes two Urban Natural Features (one occupying a portion of the Site and extending off-Site, and one southwest of the Site), both owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC), and surrounding urban uses with remnant patches of natural vegetation. The proposed Draft Plan includes a range of land uses including residential, retail, mixed use, schools, employment, associated roads and servicing, parks, stormwater management and natural areas. Portions of the Site are currently subject to remediation activities to address contaminated soils, the impacts of which were addressed under Tree Permit No. D06-01-14-0075 as issued by the City of Ottawa May 20, 2014. March 2015 Report No. 1418293 1 TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION Owner / Applicant: Canada Lands Company CLC Limited 30 Metcalfe Street, Suite 601 Ottawa, ON K1P 5L4 (613) 998-7765 Consultants Hired to Prepare this Report: Gwendolyn Weeks, H.B.Sc. (Env), Ecologist Golder Associates Ltd. 32 Steacie Drive Kanata, ON K2K 2A9 613-592-9600 Based on Information Gathered by: Dan Baker - Registered Professional Forester and Urban Forestry Consultant Jim McCready - Arboricultural & Urban Forestry Consultant Andrew McKinley, Ph.D., MA.Sc., BA (Hons.), EP – DST Consulting Engineers Ltd. Contractor Implementing the Plan: To be subcontracted by Canada Lands Company CLC Ltd. March 2015 Report No. 1418293 2 TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS 3.0 CURRENT DESIGNATIONS AND STATUS OF PLANNING APPLICATION The Rockliffe lands are currently designated as General Urban Area with the Developing Community overlay (City of Ottawa OP; Schedule B). The NCC lands are identified as Major Open Space and Urban Natural Feature (corresponding to Urban Natural Area #170 – NRC Woods). Southwest of the Site is another UNF (corresponding to Urban Natural Areas #171 – Montfort Hospital Woods) (City of Ottawa OP; Schedule B). These areas, and additional remnant natural areas along the southern perimeter of the Site, are considered Natural Heritage Systems Overlay (Schedule L1). According to the City’s Greenspace Master Plan (Ottawa, 2006), the natural areas immediately southwest of the Site are considered Supporting Areas, while the northern portion of the Site (NCC lands) are considered Primary Linkage and Contributing Areas. A draft Community Design Plan (CDP) for the Site has been submitted to the City of Ottawa for approval. Ottawa City Council approvals of the CDP, an Official Plan Amendment (OPA), a Secondary Plan (SP), and a comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBLA) are all anticipated in the first quarter of 2015. The Draft Plan of Subdivision application will be submitted in the fourth quarter of 2014 and will be processed concurrently with the City and external agency technical reviews of the SCP, OPA, SP and ZBLA. March 2015 Report No. 1418293 3 TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS 4.0 PROPOSED WORKS AND SCHEDULE The Site consists of a 131 ha parcel within the urban boundary of the City of Ottawa. The Draft Plan (MMM Group, 2014; Appendix A - Map 2) illustrates the overall proposed land use, road, and block pattern for the community. This plan was designed to provide a range of places for people to live, work and play which will foster and encourage a vibrant community. The Draft Plan designates the following land uses: low-rise residential; low- to mid-rise residential; mid-rise residential; low- to mid-rise mixed-use; mid-rise mixed-use; high-rise mixed-use; high-rise employment; Forest Special Design Area; schools; parks and parkettes (19.81 ha); natural areas (6.16 ha) and important tree groupings (10.25 ha); and infrastructure (e.g., roads, off-road cycling connections, stormwater facilities). It is anticipated that site works will begin after the first quarter of 2016. The impacts associated with removal of vegetation as part of the soil remediation activities being undertaken on- Site were addressed in a Tree Permit application submitted to the City under City By-Law 2009-200. March 2015 Report No. 1418293 4 TREE CONSERVATION REPORT FORMER CFB ROCKCLIFFE LANDS 5.0 EXISTING TREE COVER ON-SITE An inventory of all trees on-Site, including species composition, size, age and condition, as well as the presence of specimen trees was conducted by various consultants, with results as presented in Appendix A (Map 1). The information contained in this section of the report was compiled based on a review of the following documents: CFB Rockcliffe Lands Vegetation Survey (McCready, 2004); CFB Rockcliffe Vegetation Survey (Baker, 2013); Butternut Survey for Proposed Stormwater Ponds at the Former CFB Rockcliffe (DST, 2013); and, Former CFB Rockcliffe Species at Risk Survey (DST, 2014). Below is a description of each treed area on-Site as described by McCready (2004) and updated by Baker (2013), and a listing of all individual trees recommended for retention by those authors. Grouping A Tree Species % Composition Average Size (cm) Condition Sugar Maple 70 40 Good White Ash / Basswood / 20 Fair American Beech Hemlock 10 Poor to Fair Comments: This is very park-like with all the underbrush cleared out with some grass and very little humus present. There are also a few Bitternut Hickory and American Beech in this stand. There is excellent regeneration of sugar maple, and especially white ash and green ash. There is some regeneration of Beech, Basswood and Bitternut Hickory. This regeneration is gradually returning this grouping into a multi-aged stand. However, there are also patches of invasive European buckthorn and some dog strangling vine. Recommendation: Retain. With the removal of the trees in poor condition this area could be used as greenspace for any development. Grouping B Tree Species % Composition Average Size (cm) Condition Sugar Maple 65 60 Good Ironwood 20 16 Good White Ash 10 45 Poor Basswood