Environmental Protection

Environmental Review Checklist

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Environmental Review

Pursuant to Alachua County Comprehensive Plan; Conservation Open Space Element policy 3.4.1 of the new 2002 Comp Plan all applications for land use change, zoning change, and development approval shall be required to submit an inventory of natural resource information. The minimum sufficient address of these policies includes identification and/or mapping of each relevant resource, analysis of the impact of the proposed development activity on the resource (during and after construction), and discussion of proposed measures to protect the resource through avoidance and minimization of impacts (during and after construction). As required in the above polices, the identification and analysis must indicate the information sources consulted. Failure to adequately identify and address the listed elements may result in a recommendation for denial or deferral of the application.

Implementation

The Department and the DRC recognize that certain development activities, by their very nature, may present a minimal potential for adverse impacts. Additionally, certain proposals may already have undergone substantial analysis. In such cases the applicant may petition the Department, in writing, for exemption to one or more of the identification and analysis requirements. All such petitions shall clearly identify the requested exemption(s), present data and analysis supporting the request for each exemption, and be received by the county no later than the submittal deadline for the relevant DRC agenda.

The Department shall consider all such petitions and respond to the applicant, orally or in writing, within five (5) business days of the date of the submittal deadline regarding requests for additional information, approval, approval with conditions or denial of the requested exemption(s). Oral communications will be documented by the Department in the form of phone logs, field notes, meeting notes, etc. Failure of the Department to respond within the identified time frames or standards shall constitute approval of the requested exemption(s). Failure of the applicant to meet identified time line shall be grounds for denial or deferral of approval of the requested exemption(s), at the discretion of the Department, after consultation with the TRC. In all cases, unless specific exemptions are obtained pursuant to the above, responses to each item identified in the checklist/worksheet are required no later than the date of preliminary application (or final application, in those cases where conceptual or preliminary application levels are not required by county regulations).

Development Review Checklist

The check list below is provided to aid or assist anyone who is planning to develop/redevelop their property. The following list of natural resources must be identified for all proposed developments.

This is an unofficial list. Please contact the Department for official papers and procedures.

  • Surface Waters and Wetlands
  • Recreation/Conservation/Preservation Lands
  • Stream and Lakeshore Stabilization Zones
  • Special Area Study Resource Conservation Areas
  • Flood Prone Areas
  • Wellfield Protection Areas
  • Aquifer Recharge Areas
  • Wells
  • Geological Features
  • Mineral Resource Areas
  • Soils
  • Significant Natural Ecological Communities
  • Topography
  • Petroleum Tanks
  • Cultural Resources
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Listed Species/ Habitat

SURFACE WATERS AND WETLANDS

  1. Are there surface waters (ponds, lakes creeks, streams, springs, etc.) or wetlands ("low areas" or seepage slopes) located on the property?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief description of these systems and indicate location(s) on site plans.
    2. Discuss what impact(s) the proposed development may have. In particular, discuss all measures that will be taken to avoid and minimize adverse impacts during and after development activity.
  2. Are there surface waters or wetlands located on adjacent tax parcels?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief description of these systems and discuss what impact (if any) the proposed development may have. Potential impacts are particularly relevant if there is a hydrologic connection between on-site and off-site systems.

STREAM AND LAKESHORE STABILIZATION ZONES

  1. Are there federal, state, water management district (WMD), or local regulations that require buffers, setbacks, etc. from surface waters or wetlands?
    1. If yes, please discuss any relevant requirements and indicate location(s) on site plans.

FLOOD PRONE AREAS

  1. Are there areas of the property subject to the 100-year flood as identified in generally available literature resources such as Federal Emergency Management Act maps, United States Geological Survey maps, Regional Planning Council maps, etc?
    1. If yes, please indicate these areas on site plans and note the flood elevation.
  2. For parcels adjacent to the Santa Fe River, are there areas of the property subject to the 10-year flood? Please identify any relevant areas on site plans.

AQUIFER RECHARGE AREAS

  1. Is the property, or any portion of the property, located in an area where the Floridan Aquifer is identified as being unconfined or semiconfined pursuant Florida Geological Society Open File Report #21, or other relevant authorities?
  2. Are there surface expressions of, or direct connections to, the Floridan aquifer on or adjacent to the property?
    1. If yes, please briefly describe each feature and identify location(s) on the site plans.
  3. Is the property, or any portion of the property, located within a stream-to-sink drainage basin?
    1. If yes, please briefly discuss the context of the subject parcel as it relates to overall basin hydrology.

GEOLOGIC FEATURES

  1. Are there any caves, springs, sinkholes, solution pipes, limestone or chert outcrops, etc. located on the property?
    1. If yes, please briefly describe and identify the location of all relevant features on the site plans.

SOILS

  1. Identify all soil phase occurring on the property as identified in the Alachua County Soil Survey and discuss the suitability of each as it pertains to the proposed development. Pay particular attention to limitations imposed by groundwater elevations, drainage characteristics, erodibility, shrink-swell potential, etc.
  2. Please include at least one plan sheet that depicts on-site soils. Such depiction may be in the form of a stand-alone plan sheet or as an overlay on other plan sheets.
  3. Please attach all available soil boring data.

TOPOGRAPHY

  1. Indicate existing site topography on the site plans at the one-foot contour interval.
  2. Please discuss any natural or man-made drainage ways (including sheet-flow drainages) that may exist on the property, even if they would not be considered regulated wetlands under federal, state or local laws. At least one plan sheet should depict local drainage basin divides.
  3. If the proposed development will involve regrading, please indicate the location(s) and elevation(s) of all such activities on site plans and/or detail drawings.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

  1. a. Are there documented historical/archaeological resources located on or adjacent to the property?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief description of each resource and indicate location(s) on site plans. Prior to application for final DRC approval, contact the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources (DHR) for recommendation regarding any need for further research.
    2. If not, does the property have a moderate to high potential for the occurrence of significant resources as determined by the DHR?
  2. Are ther overt indications of human burials on or adjacent to the property?
    1. If yes, please describe and indicate location(s) on the site plans.
  3. Are there any buildings on the property that are more than 50 years old?
    1. If yes, please describe and indicate location(s) on the site plans.
  4. What procedure(s) will be followed should undocumented cultural resources be discovered during the course of development?

LISTED SPECIES / HABITAT

  1. Are there any listed (regulated) species of plants or animals that are known or reported to occur on the property?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief discussion of measures that will be taken to avoid or minimize adverse impacts to these species during and after the development activity.
  2. If there are no known or reported occurrences, could listed species reasonably be expected to be present based on site-specific habitat characteristics?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief discussion.
  3. What procedure(s) will be followed should regulated species be discovered during the course of development?
  4. d. Are there any rare (but not yet afforded legal protection) species of plants or animals that are known or reported to occur on the property?
    1. If yes, please provide a brief discussion.

RECREATION/CONSERVATION/PRESERVATION LANDS

  1. Is the property, or any portion thereof, located within 660 feet of lands designated as "Preservation" on the Future Land Use Map?
    1. If yes please indicate how the proposed development will comply with the requirements of section 13.5 of the zoning regulations.

SPECIAL AREA STUDY RESOURCE CONSERVATION AREAS

  1. If the proposed development occurs within a Special Area Study, are there any identified resource conservation areas involved?
    1. If yes, please identify each relevant area on the site plans and discuss how the project complies with relevant development regulations.

WELLFIELD PROTECTION AREAS

  1. Is the property located within or adjacent to identified wellfield protection zones?
    1. If yes, please discuss how the proposed development activity will comply with all relevant regulations.
  2. What is the direction and distance to the nearest community water supply?

WELLS

  1. Are there any non-community (private) potable water, irrigation or monitor wells located on or adjacent to the property?
    1. If yes, please identify the location(s) on the site plans and discuss the fate of each (to be abandoned, modified, etc.).
  2. Does the property lie within, or adjacent to, any "delineated" areas as identified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or Water Management Districts?
    1. If yes, please discuss how relevant regulations will be addressed.

MINERAL RESOURCE AREAS

  1. Does the property lie within a mineral resource area identified in the Alachua County Comprehensive plan (Plan)?

SIGNIFICANT NATURAL ECOLOGICAL AREAS

  1. Does the property lie within an identified significant natural ecological area identified in the plan?
    1. If yes, please describe how the proposed project complies with plan goals, objectives, policies and relevant land development regulations.

PETROLEUM TANKS

  1. Are there any existing or proposed petroleum storage tanks (underground or aboveground) associated with the development application?
    1. If yes, please describe how the proposed development activity will comply with federal, state and local regulations regarding such facilities.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

  1. Are any existing or proposed hazardous materials loading, storage or handling facilities associated with the proposed development activity (as defined by the Alachua County Hazardous Materials Management Code)?
    1. If yes, please discuss how the proposed development activity will comply with federal, state and local regulations and clearly identify any such areas on the site plans. Identify any relevant areas on the site plan.
  2. Are there any documented or suspected areas of hazardous materials contamination (including petroleum-related issues) associated with the property?
    1. If yes, please describe and discuss how the proposed development activity will comply with federal, state and local regulations regarding such issues. Identify any relevant areas on the site plans.