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3 SiteAssessReport O'ShaughnessCITYOF CHANHASSEN 93 Z ! 900 612. 9,?Z 9l 52 612. 9.~4.252q MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJ: Park & Recreation Commission Todd Hoffman, Park & Recreation Director April 23, 1998 Receive Site Assessment Report, O'Shaughnessy Site Attached please find the report requested by the commission regarding the O'Shaughnessy site and the debate over the extension of Coulter Boulevard. The City q/'Cha~zhasse~z. A Sroz~'i~zg com~,umi~_' t~'ith demi Creative Solutions for Land Planning and Design Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. April 22, 1998 Todd Hoffman, Park & Recreation Director City of Chanhassen 690 Coulter Drive, P.O. Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Dear Todd: As we discussed, I have taken a look at the issue of extending a frontage road through the O'Shaughnessy site. You know, and I discovered on a recent site visit that the proposed roadway is already sub-cut and utilities are installed. This has created a significant scar on the landscape that would need careful habitat restoration if the roadway is not built and the site is maintained as a nature area. There is one primary question faced by the community in this issue. Do the traffic convenience benefits of extending Coulter outweigh opportunity to create habitat value, ecological interpretation and education on the O'Shaughnessy site ? If the community answers yes to this question, then the road will be built. If the community answer no, then there is an opportunity for an alternative vision for the site. This letter and attached drawings give an overview of the issue and offers that alternative vision. Overview Over the last five to six years, the City of Chanhassen has been actively pursuing the acquisition of a t00-acre site at the south edge of Highway 5 between Galpin Boulevard and Highway 41. Recently, the final transactions have been made and the property now belongs to the City of Chanhassen. The property, which we'll call the O'Shaughnessy site, was purchased in order to preserve it as a natural area with loop trails and observation points. The O'Shaughnessy site has been targeted for preservation in at least two recent studies completed by the City of Chanhassen. The Highway 5 Corridor Land Use Design Study prepared in 1993 recommends the site is preserved as open space to "preserve the rare wet woodlands that characterize the site". The Bluff Creek Watershed Natural Resources Management Plan prepared in 1996 identifies the site as a greenway component in the primary corridor between Lake Minnewashta and the Minnesota River. The report defines primary corridor as a: "conservancy zone where undisturbed conditions are desired. This is the area where any type of development and/or human activity directly impacts the morphological and biological characteristics of Bluff Creek." The Site contains a diversity of hardwood forest, shallow marsh, wet meadow and open upland. Much of the site has been farmed (including some wetland areas). A ditch was 123 North Third Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1659 Ph (612) 338-0800 Fx (612) 338-6838 Todd Hoffman April 22, 1998 Page 2 constructed through the site some years ago - very likely to drain wet meadow areas for farming. There are only remnants of native vegetation on the site. Most of the site has been heavily invaded by weedy and aggressive species such as Reed Canary Grass and Buckthorn. A multi-family residential neighborhood is currently being constructed at the eastern edge of the site and an office/industrial project is planned for the western edge of the site. Highway 5 creates the north boundary. A single-family residential neighborhood bounds the southeast edge and an office/industrial area bounds the southwest. The Bluff Creek Elementary School/Chanhassen Recreation Center is just across Galpin Boulevard to the east of the site and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is across Highway 41 to the west. Point of Discussion The issue under consideration in regard to the O'Shaughnessy site is whether or not to dissect the site with an east/west extension of Coulter Drive connecting Highway 41 with Galpin Boulevard. The frontage road has been planned for some time. It is identified in the Highway 5 Corridor Land Use Design Study and the recent update of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The intent of the frontage road has been to create a continuous, local transportation route (as an alternative to Highway 5) from Highway 41 to Audubon Road. The frontage road is already in place between Audubon Road and Galpin Blvd. Despite the long-standing assumption that this leg of Coulter Drive will be built, many are now questioning the wisdom of that decision. Some of the concerns include: 1. Further segmentation of habitat on the site 2. Traffic safety from increased truck traffic through adjacent neighborhoods 3. Conflict between traffic and possible nature interpretation on the O'Shaughnessy site Habitat Segmentation The Bluff Creek Watershed Management Plan proposes a continuous greenway or habitat corridor between Lake Minnewashta and the Minnesota River (of which the O'Shaughnessy site is a part). The report write "One problem in preserving natural communities in altered landscapes such as urbanized areas, is the separation of these areas by harsh, unnatural barriers. This phenomenon usually leads to habitat islands which limit the diversity and value of the natural areas." A person would be inclined to think one more road is not going to matter. This is true if development follows the typical pattern - a pattern that marginalizes natural habitat. The Watershed Management Plan prescribes a very different and healthier vision for the cohabitation of development and wildlife habitat. The Plan suggests preserving and establishing greenway corridors and building bridges at junctures of major roadways and habitat greenways in order to allow wildlife to pass unharmed, under the roads. Because of topography, this system could be accomplished at most places along the Bluff Creek corridor but not at the Todd Hoff~nan April 22, 1998 Page 3 proposed Coulter Drive since the roadway is at the same grade as the surrounding land. Even if the full corridor is not considered, the O'Shaughnessy site is a significant habitat in and of itself and the proposed roadway would divide the site into a northern 30 acre parcel with very low habitat value and southern 70 acre parcel with diminished habitat value. Traffic Safety If Coulter Drive is extended, truck traffic from the office/industrial site would be inclined to use it as an alternative to Highway 5 during times of heavy traffic. This traffic would not only cut through residential neighborhoods; it would also pass the entry to Bluff Creek Elementary School. This could create the potential for dangerous conflicts between pedestrians (especially children) and trucks. Use of the Site for Nature Interpretation The O'Shaughnessy site has a very nice setting for nature interpretation because it is in a valley with diverse habitats and mostly surrounded by upland woods. Unfortunately, Coulter Drive would cut directly through the valley, removing its character as a sanctuary. If Coulter Drive is constructed through the site, nature interpretation and education would no longer be a viable primary use of the site because of reduced habitat quality and conflicts with traffic. Remarks The O'Shaughnessy site contains 100 acres of land that the City of Chanhassen has worked very hard at protecting from development. The current habitat value of the site is fairly low because of damage from farming and invasive plant species. But, with an aggressive habitat restoration plan and by not building Coulter Drive, the site has all the elements to become a high quality nature interpretation and education area with great connections to Bluff Creek Elementary School. If the community chooses to extend Coulter Drive through the site, this vision of a high quality natural habitat is not viable because of habitat fragmentation and conflicts with traffic. It doesn't mean the site has no use - it just means the site has a different, less ecologically pristine use. Good luck in making this difficult decision. If you have any questions, please let me know. Sincerely, Bruce L. Chamberlain, RLA Park Planner EiI¢. M:\CHA NHASX96 - 7v;sh_rpt. doc O'Shaughnessy Nature Area Site 1'1~ lloi~ington ~ocgler (;roup Inc. City of Chanhassen