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PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT QUANTUM PARK MFI DEVELOPMENT, INC. 4.39-ACRE PARCEL BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MAY 1998 For MFI Development, Inc. Attn. Mr Douglas MacDonald 292 South County Road, Suite 141 Palm Beach, Florida 33480 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC. 1001 North US Highway One, SUite 304 JupIter, Flonda 33477 (561) 743-5141 EP98017 TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. METHODS 1 A. Current SIte CondItIOns and Use 1 B Soils 1 C Wetlands 1 D Vegetatlon 3 E. Wildhfe 3 III. RESULTS 3 A. Current Site CondItlons and Use 3 B Soils 3 C. Wetlands 5 D Vegetatlon 5 E. Wildhfe 7 IV CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7 REFERENCES 8 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Figure 2 FIgure 3 SIte LocatIOn Map Soils Map Vegetatlve Commumties 2 4 6 PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT QUANTUM PARK MFI DEVELOPMENT, INC. 4.39-ACRE PARCEL BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MAY 1998 I. INTRODUCTION An EnvIronmental ServIces, Inc., bIOlogIst conducted a Prehmmary EnvIronmental Assessment of the Quantum Park 4.39-acre parcel on 21 May 1998 to map bIOtIC commumty types and determme the presence of any species or habitats hsted as protected by federal, state, or local agencies. The survey was authonzed by Mr Douglas MacDonald for MFI Development, Inc. The property compnses 4.39:!: acres and is located east of High RIdge Road, south of Gateway Boulevard, in Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Flonda, ange 43, Townslnp 45, Section 17 (FIgure 1). Results of thIS mvestlgatIOn and recommendations for permlttmg are presented in tins report. II. METHODS A. Current Site Conditions and Use Present-day development and other indications of land use on the property were identified dunng field reconnaIssance and from 1995 aenal photographs (1 "=200' scale) obtained from Palm Beach County Property AppraIsers Office. B. Soils SIte soil types were determined by review of Soil Survey of Palm Beach County Area, Florida (USDA Soil ConservatIOn ServIce 1978) and by observation of soil charactenstics on the property C. Wetlands The parcel was evaluated for the occurrence of any state (FDEP and SFWMD) and federal (V.S Army Corps of Engmeers) Junsdlctional wetlands using aerial photograph mterpretatIOn and soli survey review All of the property was verified as upland during field reconnaIssance by the absence of hydnc solis, hydrophytlc vegetatIOn associations, and mdlcators of wetland hydrologIC charactenstlcs. 1 --/) 1 Quantum Park l"lFI Developntent, Inc. 4.39-acre parcel prelintina r)' l1.nviron nten tal Assessnten t 1 fIgure \ LocatlonllopograpnlC "!Aap ~E""IRONMf.NT AL SERVICES, ,",C. S \. \ 24 00\1 \00\ North US \-\lgnwaJ \. sUite 304 ca e ,; '\990 Da.te lna.'j 0 JupIter. f\onda 33477 ES\ project No Ep9%0\1 (56\) 743-514\ -.-..-----'" --------- ".--..---- -~~~---- D Vegetation A bIOlogIst conducted comprehensIve pedestnan transects across the site to map bIotic communIty boundanes and to detect any presence of protected vegetatIOn (lIsted speCIes, commurntIes, or speCImen trees), as defined m the Development Order, Ordmance No 84-51, Ordmance of the CIty of Boynton Beach, SectIOn 6 BIOtiC commurnty boundaries were defined utIlIzmg Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCFCS) (Flonda Department of Transportation 1985) based on types and extent or lack of plant speCIes. All observations, mcludmg approxImate locatIOn of protected speCIes found on sIte were recorded in the field on a 1995 (1 "=200' scale) aenal photograph of the property The locations of any plant speCIes listed on Florida Endangered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern Official Lists (Wood 1996) were mapped. E. Wildlife Any eVIdence of wildlife utilIzation of the property was recorded dunng field reconnaissance of the property The locations of any wildlIfe speCIes listed on the Florida Endangered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern Official Lists (Wood 1996) were mapped. III. RESULTS A. Current Site Conditions and Use The parcellS currently undeveloped, partially wooded land, bordered by roadways, a bike path, vacant land and commercIal development. The entire site has been filled and repeatedly dIsturbed by off-road velncles. SIte topography IS relatively flat to gently sloped (Figure 1) The site supports a mIxture of landscape and exotIc/nwsance plant cover B. Soils Two soIl types were lnstoncally mapped on the Quantum Park property (Figure 2) Basmger fine sand (Ba) and Basmger and Myakka sands, depressIOnal. 3 ~ ~'. - t' - C~:I ~wt ,>:I"~~ . f.l"'~ ...,f~~ \M~1 ~ ~.)'~\. .:;l ... .. . p-. ~ 01' ,_' r" .....-ii. '. :..~.. ",,' '''" \t: : ~} -'to)' '..-:-:..li;... ., .- . ,;;' .... .' - '0 ~{.-...'~ \ ... i-' \,: .", ~ 1')\'I)C ftl' -0. "'" Basinger flJ\e sand . va ,. aid<" sands ~.ss'onal Bl'A "'" Basinger and l'l''j , fl 'd (\91S) . . of pol'" BeOCh counly Area. 0" 0 usn A. Soil conse",atio' Sef'/,ce Sod SUl""'Y source: l"> , _ A. ts_urban land cornt>\e1t >lO'.: CU-' soil ((,II) " p..u - ",. Quantum ~at"\{ \ A 'l9_act"e ~at"ce\ ~Vl ue"e\optnent, nC. ...~ pre\\tninan' v,n"irontnenta\ ,\Ssesstnent fi~ure 2. Salls N\al1 1\>l\flRO>lMl'J<f p..\. S ER \flCES, WC. Scale t t 5,OOO:\: tOO t 1-l0$ US Wgh",ay t, Su"e 304 Dale May t 998 lUI'\le', Honda 33411 ES tl'tolecl1-l0 E1'91\O t 1 (56\) '143-5\4\ --~_/ .---------.....- ,-~ ~-- ~ The current soIl IS fill materIal, very sImIlar to the soIl classIfied as Arents-Urban land complex (Au) m the SoIl Survey of Palm Beach County, FlorIda. TIns complex consists of nearly level, somewhat poorly dramed, sandy soIls and urban land. The soils formed m thIck layers of sandy fill materIal that were placed over low, wet mineral soils to make the areas sUItable for urban use. ThIS complex IS found throughout the project SIte and many areas in the eastern portion of the soil survey area. It IS common to many areas such as golf courses, subdIvIsions, condommIUm developments, roadways, busmess or industrIal areas, reclaimed borrow pItS, and other areas filled over but not yet developed. There IS no natIve vegetatIon assocIated WIth tills soil. c. Wetlands None of the property would be consIdered JunsdIctional wetland by federal, state, or local envIronmental regulatory agenCIes. No hydnc sOlIs occurred on the property (SectIOn III-B). No hydrIC soils, hydrophytIc vegetatIOn associatIons, or evidence of wetland hydrologic condItIOns were observed m the field. D Vegetation SIte vegetatIon consIsts of a rmxture of exotIc nUIsance trees, landscape plants, and herbaceous, weedy vegetation. The majority of the property IS covered by plants typIcally associated WIth disturbed SItes. Several exotic trees have colomzed the southeastern portion of the property and are sparsely scattered throughout the open field. The northeastern portIon of the property is currently landscaped as an entrance to Quantum Park. VegetatIon commumtIes, defined accordmg to FLUCFCS, are depicted in Figure 3 One general vegetatIOn community was identIfied on site' · Urban Land m transItIon WIthout posItIve indIcators of intended actiVIty (FLUCFCS 193) The majority of the property IS m this category There are no structures or any mdIcatIon of intended use. VegetatIon includes scattered exotics such as AustralIan pme (Casuarina equisetifolia) and earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculae/ormis) VarIOUS weedy herbaceous plants and grasses. A large area of landscaped vegetatIon exists at the northwestern comer of the property This vegetation conSIsts of a canopy of ficus (Ficus benjamina) trees and various exotIc palms. The understory IS splIt-leaf pilllodendron with smaller palms and sod. . Protected Species. One plant speCIes found on SIte, prIcldy pear cactus (Opuntia stricta), IS lIsted as protected by the State of FlOrIda Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServIces and FGFWFC PrIckly pear cactus occur in several Isolated locatIOns along the western border of the SIte, m the disturbed land communIty 5 Scale. 1"=200' ~ ENVIRONMENTAL ~ SERVICES, INC. . . . 193 -0 . ~ .. .. ?!. . . 0- I <0 a> OJ 0 . C . (j) < ~ ... 0- Legend: .A - Gopher Tortoise Burrow . - Prickley Pear Cactus 193 - Urban Land (Florida Land Use and Forms Classification System) Preliminary Environmental Assessment ~ ~ Vegetative and Listed Species Map .. Quantum Park Project No EP98017 MFI Development, Inc. Date May 1998 4 39 Acre Parcel Figure No 3 --~- --- -~--------- ----~---- E. Wildlife 1 Sik UtihzatIOn. Wildhfe observed on SIte consIsted of several urudentIfied small passenne bIrds and a gopher tortOIse (Gopherus polyphemus) observed at the mouth of ItS burrow The gopher tortOIse is a state-lIsted Species of SpecIal Concern and is dIscussed in detaIl below 2. Protected SpeCIes. Gopher tortOIse was the only lIsted wildlife speCIes IdentIfied on SIte. No scrub Jays or other speCIes lIsted as protected by any state or federal agency were observed. One actIve (accordmg to Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish CommIssion [FGFWFC] burrow status defInItion) gopher tortoise burrow was observed on the property The burrow was located in the southern portIon of the property (Figure 3) Gopher tortOIse IS lIsted as a Species of Special Concern on the Florida Endangered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern Official Lists (Wood 1996). IV CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The dIsturbed nature of this property IS mdIcated by the occurrence of exotIc and nuisance vegetation across the SIte. Although local government ordmance reqUIres preservatIon of 25 percent of areas of native upland vegetation, tlus is not applIcable to the SIte because no natIve vegetatIon exists on SIte. AddItIonally, dunng constructIon, all melaleuca, BrazilIan pepper and AustralIan pine which occur on-site shall be removed. The Gopher tortOIse burrow may be left undIsturbed, but would reqUIre a 30- to SO-foot radius buffer surroundmg It, wluch would substantIally inhibit development of the southeastern part of the SIte. A relocatIon or inCIdental takmg peront may be obtamed from FGFWFC if the burrow area is to be developed. A relocatIon permit will allow relocation of the tortOIses to an approved off-SIte preserve. The cost for relocatmg a single tortoise IS $2,000 to $4,000 which includes penmt acqUIsition, relocatIOn fees and consultmg servIces. Finally, we recommend that a Phase I EnVIronmental SIte Assessment (ESA) for hazardous and toxic materials be conducted for the property A phase I ESA would further mvestigate historical earthmoving and fillmg actIvity on SIte. TypIcal cost of a Phase I ESA would be $1,800 to $2,000 7 REFERENCES U S Department of Agnculture, Soil ConservatlOn Service, 1978 Soil Survey of Palm Beach County Area, Florida. 95 p. + maps. Flonda Department of TransportatlOn, 1985 Flonda Land Use, Cover & Forms ClassIfication System. Tallahassee, Florida. 40 p Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish ComrmsslOn, 1996 Flonda's Endangered SpecIes, Threatened Species and Species of Special Concern, OffiCIal LIStS. Tallahassee, Florida. 22p. 8