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Workshop covers wetlands, delineation, mitigation costs and conditioning rezonings on infrastructure
Summary
Staff and the county engineer explained wetlands permitting, the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA, typical costs and how the board may condition rezonings on infrastructure completion or limit certificates of occupancy.
Planning staff, the county engineer and the department’s wetlands specialist briefed the board on wetlands jurisdiction, delineation, mitigation costs and how the board can condition rezonings on infrastructure.
Chelsea, a planning staff wetland specialist, said that impacts to wetlands generally require delineation and Army Corps of Engineers approval for commercial and many other activities: "Anything more than that, it would have to, including commercial. So they'd have to be delineated by the and approved by the Army Corps of Engineers," she said. She added that where a wetland has not been delineated, the county applies a 50-foot buffer measure; once a delineation is completed the buffer can be refined to the delineation limits.
Jonathan, the county engineer, told members he is available to answer questions about roads, stormwater and infrastructure timelines: "I'm Jonathan. I'm the county engineer. So any road questions, stormwater questions, you're at your disposal." Staff and board members discussed that the board can place conditions on rezonings, including delaying issuance of certificates of occupancy until specified infrastructure (for example, a roundabout) is completed; participants cited a recent local example in which COs were limited until a roundabout was built.
On costs, staff described wetland mitigation credits as a market product that can be expensive; staff estimated that mitigation for an acre of wetland impact often runs well into five figures and possibly over $100,000, depending on the bank and demand. Delineation of wetlands was described as a modest up-front cost (staff estimated a few thousand dollars for typical residential-sized parcels) while mitigation credits for larger commercial impacts can be far costlier.
Why it matters: wetlands requirements and mitigation costs can materially affect a development’s feasibility, and conditioning rezonings on completed infrastructure can limit near-term development even when a site’s zoning changes.
Staff urged board members to consult the county engineer and planning staff about project-specific infrastructure timelines before taking action, and to consider conditions that tie development approvals or COs to completed capital projects where appropriate.
