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Home My WebLink AboutCT 04-10A; POINSETTIA PLACE; POST INSTALLATION AND AS BUILT REPORT FOR THE POINSETTIA PLACE ON SITE UPLAND HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT; 2012-07-06. ' HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. 7578 El Cajon Boulevard Suite 200 La Mesa, CA 91942 GeorgeA@helixepi.com 619.462.1515 tel 619.462.0552 fax www.hellxapl.com July 6, 2012 Sarah Beckman Shea Homes Limited Partnership 9990 Mesa Rim Road San Diego, CA, 92121 HELIX Environmental Planning SHI-09.01 Subject: Post-Installation and As-Built Report for the Poinsettia Place On-Site Upland Habitat Restoration Project (City of Carlsbad Permits and Amendments under Ordinance No. 2006-370) Dear Ms. Beckman: This letter addresses the completed installation and as-built status of required on-site mitigation for upland impacts to 1.24 acres of southern maritime chaparral and its sub-associations from the Poinsettia Place project. Required mitigation was implemented per the Mitigated Negative Declaration and according to the Upland Mitigation Plan (HELIX 2010) and corresponding restoration figure. PROJECT LOCATION The Poinsettia Place project is located on a 20.4-acre parcel generally south of Cassia Road and east of the current terminus of Poinsettia Lane, in the City of Carlsbad (Figure I). This project is in the northeast corner of Section 7, Range 4 West, Township 12 South on the U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute Encinitas quadrangle map (Figure 2). A total of6.8 acres of the site was developed, including 2 residential lots on the northern and western edges, and extension of Poinsettia Lane across the western end of the property. An additional 2.1 acres of the property were previously disturbed as part of grading for other development. The remaining 11.5 acres of the property were set aside to be permanently preserved as open space (Figure 3). REQUIRED MITIGATION On December 19, 2006, the City of Carlsbad passed Resolution No. 2006-370, adopting a number of permits and amendments necessary for the Poinsettia Place development to proceed. Letter to Ms. Beckman July 6, 2012 Page 2 of 4 Among these was a Mitigated Negative Declaration issued by the City of Carlsbad as Lead Agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As Lead Agency, the City of Carlsbad acted as its own permitting agency under the requirements of CEQA and adopted mitigation requirements in accordance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommendations to reduce impacts from the proposed project to below the level of significance. Mitigation required for impacts to upland biological resources were as follows: impact to 1.17 acres of southern maritime chaparral, 0.04 acre of disturbed southern maritime chaparral, and 0.03 acre of disturbed southern maritime chaparral-coastal sage scrub ecotone to be mitigated at a ratio of3:l, for a total of3.72 acres; and impacts to 7 individuals of Del Mar manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. crassifolia) to be mitigated by translocating 7 individuals from the impact area to the area preserved as open space prior to brush clearing. All mitigation for impacts to sensitive upland habitats was to take the form of creation or restoration of southern maritime chaparral in the on-site open space preserve, or by purchase of mitigation credits in an off-site location for up to two-thirds (2.48 acres) of the required area. RESTORATION PLAN The final Upland Mitigation Plan (HELIX 20 I 0) specifies on-site mitigation for upland impacts in the form of creation of 2.08 acres of southern maritime chaparral and restoration/enhancement of 1.06 acres of disturbed southern maritime chaparral, with the balance of required mitigation occurring off-site through payment of mitigation bank credits. Creation of southern maritime chaparral was to be in disturbed areas and non-native grassland within the on-site preservation area; restoration/enhancement of southern maritime chaparral was to be in areas of southern maritime chaparral within the on-site preservation area disturbed by trash, non-native vegetation, and human presence. AS-BUILT CONDITIONS In the time between the original site surveys and mapping of vegetation, and completion of the restoration, substantial areas slated for restoration/enhancement made significant progress toward natural recovery. Other areas originally mapped as restoration/enhancement have developed as natural clearings in the southern maritime chaparral. Prior to beginning restoration efforts, the site was thoroughly surveyed and all areas of trash and disturbance were identified. Areas that had regrown or were developing as natural clearings were considered "passive restoration." Areas disturbed by trash or non-native vegetation were considered "active restoration," and were cleaned and seeded. An as-built graphic is submitted as Figure 4. Pre-and post-construction photographs are included as Attachment A, and a seed list and photo of the seed package label are included as Attachment B. SITE PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION Site preparation in active restoration areas consisted of removal of trash and debris, and placement of topsoil salvaged from southern maritime chaparral disturbed by grading for Poinsettia Lane. Trash was abundant along the road running through the middle of the site, and particularly concentrated in 3 gullies. Approximately 250 cubic yards of trash was removed -------- HELIX Enlqronment.el Pfannlng Letter to Ms. Beckman July 6, 2012 Page 3 of 4 from the site, and included pieces of automobiles, large appliances, asphalt, motor oil, and especially large amounts of plastic irrigation hose and plastic sheeting used in agriculture. In addition, 3 shanties used as illegal dwellings were removed along with large volumes of food containers, plastic jugs, and household trash. Non-native trees were removed, as well as some patches ofhottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis). Salvaged topsoil was placed on all large areas disturbed by trash removal in active restoration areas. Trash removal began on December 14, 2011, and was finished on December 28, 2011. The topsoil placement was completed on January 4, 2012. Native seed was installed in areas where topsoil was placed, as well as on side trails and smaller areas disturbed by trash removal. Seed was hand-broadcast and raked into the soil following rain events, and all seeded areas were capped with hydro-mulch on February 21, 2012. Additional areas of hottentot-fig, black mustard (Brassica nigra), and other non-native species were cleaned and hand-seeded with native species on June 7, 2012. Other installation activities included bollards across the access road at the east end of the site, and 250 feet of3-strand smooth wire fence along the western edge of the site, to discourage public access. The existing 2-strand barbed wire fence on the southern boundary of the preserve area was relocated to the property line and improved with new barbed wire. Installation activities were complete on June 7, 2012, at which time the 120-day plant establishment period began. Seed germination was evident on June 7 in areas that received hydro-mulch in February. Native species observed included fascicled tarplant (Deinandrafasciculata), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), California encelia (Encelia californica), black sage (Salvia mellifera), goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis), and golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum). Deviations in the as-built conditions from the upland mitigation plan consisted of the following: I) Yucca schidigera (Mojave yucca) was deleted from the seed palette because the restoration specialist deemed it inappropriate for the site, given the existing natural vegetation; 2) container stock and temporary irrigation were not installed, but could be utilized in the future, should cap-and-seed restoration not provide sufficient native plant establishment by the onset of the Fall 2012 rainy season; 3) Seven individual Del Mar manzanita plants were not translocated before grading for Poinsettia Lane took place, but 7 Del Mar manzanita will be produced by rooting cuttings from existing plants, and will be planted in the restoration area; 4) the 3-strand smooth wire fence was to connect to a block wall installed by the developer along the east and south edges of the residential lots. This block wall has not yet been installed. The 120-day establishment period will be completed in October 2012, after which the 5-year maintenance and monitoring period will be initiated. START OF THE 5-YEAR MONITORING PERIOD Regularly scheduled maintenance and monitoring of the restoration effort will be conducted during the 5-year monitoring period as specified in the restoration plan. Maintenance monitoring memos will be sent to the client and the maintenance contractor, as needed, following the site inspections. Maintenance inspections will be performed monthly during the 120-day plant HELIX En~ronmerttal Planning Letter to Ms. Beckman July 6, 2012 Page 4 of4 establishment period, and monthly during Winter/Spring of years I through 3. Two additional visits will be made during summer/fall of years I through 3. Maintenance visits will be quarterly in years 4 and 5. Annual monitoring to evaluate restoration success will be scheduled for late spring/early summer, which coincides with the peak of the growing season for most native herbs and shrubs. The annual reports will include a complete list of plant and animal species, photographic documentation, a summary of qualitative site observations, a discussion of the progress of the restoration effort towards meeting final success criteria, and remedial recommendations, if necessary. In addition, beginning in Year 3, annual reports also will include quantitative measurements (using line transects) of native and non-native percent cover in 3 vegetative layers, which will be compared to success criteria specified in the project's restoration plan. Annual reports will be submitted to the client, City of Carlsbad, and maintenance contractor for the duration of the maintenance period. Assuming successful completion of the 120-day establishment period, the first annual assessment for the Poinsettia Place Upland Restoration will be conducted in June 2013, and the 5-year monitoring period will conclude in June 2017, following the fifth annual assessment. NOTIFICATION OF COMPLETION Shea Homes Limited Partnership, the responsible party, via HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. will notify the City of Carlsbad of completion of the mitigation effort through the submittal of the year five monitoring report. CLOSING Please contact me or Shelby Howard if you have any questions regarding the as-built status and/or initiation of the 5-year monitoring of this restoration effort. George Aldridge Biologist Enclosures: Figure I Regional Location Map Figure 2 Project Location Map Figure 3 Vegetation and Sensitive Resources/Impacts Figure 4 Upland Mitigation Plan and Installed Mitigation Attachment A Pre-and Post-Construction Photographs Attachment B Seed List HELIX EnWanmen1a, Planning 8 / , RIVERSIDE I COUNTY ""'·------------., ORANGE ! SAN DIEGO : .._ COUNTY j COUNTY • ·,. ## -................ ··-··" .... , 4 O'Neill fake Pacific Ocean 8 Miles 1·\ArcOIS\8\BAl-09 PoinseuiaPlaoeWap\As_Builf\Fig I_ Reaional.mxd -KF San Vicente Reserl'oir 01ay Resen-oir J::t Capila11 Resermir Lm-e/a,rd Resen'Oir Barrett lake s -·-·-·-·-UNITED STATf-•-•-•-• -·-·-----·-MEXICO Regional Location Map POINSETTIA PLACE HELIX Figure I EnvlronmentalPfannlng------------------------------------------------------ 2,000 1,000 2,000 Job No: SHl-09.0 1 Date: 03/12/12 1:\AreOIS\8\BAl-09 Poirue1tiaP1loc\Map\A1_13uilt\Figl_LocaltOJ\.mxd ·KF "' Source: USGS 7.5 min Quadrangles; Encinitas and San Luis Rey Project Location Map POINSETTIA PLACE HELIX Figure 2 EnvlronmentalPlannlng-------------------------------------------- 150 7S Job No SHJ--09.01 Date: 03/12/12 150 F«t LWIGl-"_.......,..,_,__.~_...,.,..,_.,.,._,_.,..4&:F ~ Habitat Southern WIiiow Scrub Southern Maritime Chaparral SIie,) South<lm Maritime Chaparral Disturbed SMCIDCSS-0 Southern Maritime Chaparral/Oiegon CoHtal Sage Scrub Disturbed Sensitive Resources• CAGN Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Po/iopt1/.aca/ifarn,caca/ifonuca) Ag Del Mar Manzanita (Arclostaphylm g/anduiou,ssp.crass,jolta) Del Mar Manzanita GPS Data Point Recorded by HELIX in 2006 Cd Sunvner Holy (C'.(Jlfloroslapl,ylos diwnifoliassp.diwnifallo) Qd Nuttars Saub Oak(Qu,n-usdkmosa) ~=-') Nuttara Scrub Oak Extent Cv Coast W'lite Ceanothus {Ceanotluu ,.m1co.nu) Sita Impacts ® Pn>jed lml)lcts (Poinsettia Place) ® Aviara 3 Impacts CS:, Cusi<I Road Impacts 0 Poinsettia Lane I~ 20.Foot sutternmpact Neutral Zone Vegetation and Sensitive Resources/Impacts POINSETTIA PLACE HELIX Figure 3 --