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PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT QUANTUM PARK LOT 50-B 4.250-ACRE PARCEL BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 2000 For The Collage CompanIes 585 Technology Park, SUIte 100 Lake Mary, Flonda 32746 ENVIRONMENT AL SERVICES, INC. 1001 North U.S. Highway 1, Suite 304 Jupiter, Florida 33477 561-743-5141 EP00066 TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION 1 II METHODS 1 III. RESULTS 3 A. SOlIs 3 B VegetatlVe CommunItIes 3 C LIsted SpecIes 6 D Wetlands 6 IV SUMMARY 6 REFERENCES 7 LIST OF FIGURES FIgure 1 FIgure 2 FIgure 3 SIte LocatIOn Map SOlIs Map VegetatIOn CommunItIes Map 2 4 5 PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT QUANTUM PARK LOT 50-B 4.250 ACRE PARCEL BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA I. INTRODUCTION EnvIronmental ServIces, Inc., (ESI) conducted a prelImmary envIronmental assessment to determme the occurrence of any jUnSdlctIOnal wetlands, natIve upland vegetatIon, or lIsted specIes of plants and WIldlIfe that may eXIst on the 4.250-acre property located on Park RIdge Boulevard m SectIOn 20, TownshIp 45 South, Range 43 East, Boynton Beach, Flonda (FIgure 1) The SIte IS currently undeveloped. ThIS report documents the results of the assessment. II. METHODS Palm Beach County aenal photographs (1995), topographIc maps (USGS TopographIc Map, Delray Beach, Flonda, Quadrangle, 1983) and mapped soils (Soil Survey of Palm Beach County Area, Florida, USDA, SCS 1978) of the property were revIewed pnor to the SIte VISIt for purposes of locatmg potentIal wetlands and typIcal vegetatIve commumtles. An ESI SCIentIst VISIted the property on 25 August 2000 and conducted a prelImmary envlfonmental assessment by walkmg a senes of comprehensIve pedestrIan transects across the SIte to document the occurrence of any jUnSdlctIOnal wetlands, natIve upland vegetatIon, or lIsted speCIes of plants and WIldlIfe. A field map of the vegetatIOn aSSOCIatIOns was prepared and notes on plants and wildlIfe observed were made m a field book. Wetland protectIon IS mandated under both federal and state regulatIOns. The US Army Corps of Engmeers (CE) regulates actIVItIes m Waters of the Umted States pursuant to the Clean Water Act (PL92-500 SectIOn 404) as further defined m the CE regulatory program (33 CFR 320-330) The State of Flonda Department of EnVIronmental ProtectIOn (DEP) has establIshed wetland IdentificatIOn and permlttmg processes at Chapter 62-330, 62-340, and 62-312 of the Flonda AdmmlstratIve Code (F AC) Current federal and state wetland defimtIOns are denved from the ongmal defimtlon found m 33 CFR 328.3, IdentIfymg wetlands as "those areas that are mundated, or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration suffiCIent to support, a prevalence of vegetatIon tYPIcally adapted to lIfe m saturated SOlI condItIOns" DelIneatIOn of federally regulated jUnSdlctIOnal wetlands IS determmed by the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (USAE Waterways Expenment Station Envlfonmental Laboratory 1987) DelmeatIOn of wetlands regulated by DEP and South Flonda Water Management Dlstnct (SFWMD) IS done accordmg to Chapter 62-340 FAC, DelmeatIOn of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters. The Florida Wetlands Delineation Manual (GIlbert et al. 1995) serves as a gUIde to Chapter 62-340 Both manuals, whIch emphaSIze the IdentIficatIon ofhydnc SOlIs, hydrophytlc vegetatIOn, and wetland hydrologIC condItIons m makmg wetland deternllnatIOns, were used m thIS mvestIgatIOn. ~~_..,." \~:k~i 'Jl',~ .-4:'....!t ~ PIG !lO .:r':t cu't')_ .J It) en Gl iii in .... CD E ~:;~ ~.~, -~ . ;i~;.~i'i-, ~ ;:'~-:- ..~ :.. OIC 91 ..... K ~. .. Gateway Boulevartl OK: Ole OIC 64 6S-A 6S-B 1.o.D K 2..121. ..-- Ole 82 c: ..-- . OK: e 0 Soulh FJorida Waler ManagemenC OistliCl C.IS Canal Scale: NTS ~ ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC Jupiter, Florida QUANTUM PARK LOT 50-B Boynton Beach, Flonda Figure Date: Project No, Site Location Map 1 N August 2000 I EP00066 I LIsted specIes of plants and wildlIfe are found m Florida s Endangered Species, Threatened Species and Species of Special Concern, Official Lists (Flonda Game and Fresh Water Fish CommIssIOn 1997) and Preservation of Native Flora of Florida, Chapter 5B-40 (Flonda Department of Agnculture and Consumer ServIces, DIVISIon of Plant Industry, October 1998). Any occurrences of lIsted speCIes were mapped on an aenal photograph. VegetatIOn aSSOCIatIOns were Identified m accordance WIth Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System Handbook (FLUCFCS) (Flonda Department of TransportatIOn 1999) III. RESUL TS A. Soils The mapped soIl of the property IS Pomello fine sand (FIgure 2). Pomello fine sand IS a nearly level to gently slopmg, moderately well dramed, deep, sandy soil. The natural vegetatIOn thIS soil tYPIcally supports IS slash pme (Pinus elliottii), sand pme (Pinus clausa), scrub oak (Quercus inopina), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), gallberry (Ilex glabra), fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), and natIve grasses. Pomello fine sand was present m the mIddle portIon of the property The rest of the soil on the sIte IS fill matenal, very SImIlar to the soIl claSSIfied as Arents-urban land complex m Soil Survey of Palm Beach County Area, Florida. ThIS complex conSIsts of nearly level, somewhat poorly dramed, sandy soils, and urban land. B. Vegetative Communities VegetatIOn eXIstmg on the property was mapped and claSSIfied by FLUCFCS durmg the SIte VISIt. The SIte vegetatIon conSIsts of a mIxture of scrub, exotIC, and nUisance trees, landscape plants, and herbaceous weedy vegetatIOn. The northern portIOn of the property was planted WIth natIve trees and landscape plants. Two vegetatIOn communIties were IdentIfied on the SIte, Mixed Hardwoods, FLUCFCS 439, and Urban Land m tranSItIon WIthout POSItIve mdIcators ofmtended actiVIty, FLUCFCS 193 (FIgure 3) 1 Mixed Hardwoods. VegetatIOn mcludes a canopy With sand pme and scrub oak. The sub-canopy and ground cover mclude scrub oak, palafoxIa (Palafoxia feayi), tallow-wood (Ximenia americana), staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa), cottonweed (Froelichia jloridana), Jomtweed (Polygonella polygama), rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), erect scrub spurge (Euphosbia polyphylla), huckleberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), partndge-pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata), scattered paw paw (Asimina reticulata), scrub clover (Dela feayi), gopher apple (Licania michauxii), sand spike moss (Selaginella arenicola), SpanIsh moss (Tillandsia useneoides), love vme (Cassythafiliformis), southern fox grape (Vitis rotundifolia), and scattered wild pme (Tillandsia recurvata) m the scrub oak, 3 Scale: \' ~ \ 661" ~ ENVlRONMEN'TAL SERVICES, INC. lU\'liter, f\oflda Q\JW1'IJM l'~ LOt 50-B BO)lnton Beach, Flonda figure Date: 'ProJect No Site Sot\S Nla\'l '2. August '2.000 E'P00066 t tn ~,a- .,.~._ >"'l · '1 i 1-/ 1) a .. .. ._._:! Ii~._._.._. ."_'_" "_~' ,0L.~"'i'. ~~'-~~ "'"" . '-L;,~:...f..'1~'",;, .~, FLUCFCS 439 = Mixed Hardwoods FLUCFCS 193 = Urban Land in transition without positive indicators of intended activity Scale: 1 "=200' Wd ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC. Jupiter, Florida QUANTUM PARK LOT 50-B Boynton Beach, FlorIda Vegetative Community Map Figure 3 N Date: August 2000 ! Project No. EP00066 ! 2 Urban Land m transItIon wIthout posItIve mdicators of mtended actIvIty VegetatIOn mcludes scattered exotIcs such as earleaf acaCIa (Acacia auriculiformis), BrazIlIan pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and AustralIan pme (Casuarina equisetifolia) Southern fox grape, love vme, false button weed (Spermacoce verticillarta), wedelIa (Wedelia trilobata), pnckly pear cactus (Opuntia compressa), SpanIsh needle (Bidens pilosa), dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), bahIa grass (Paspalum notatum), and varIOUS weedy herbaceous plants and grasses. C. Listed Species No specIes of plants regulated by the Flonda Department of Agnculture and Consumer ServIces were observed on the property One lIsted speCIes of wildlIfe, the gopher tortOIse (Gopherus polyphemus), was observed on the property The gopher tortOIse IS lIsted as a SpeCIes of SpecIal Concern by Flonda FISh and WildlIfe ConservatIOn CommISSIOn (FFWCC) The gopher tortOIse populatIOn on the property compnses approxImately 2 or 3 mdIvIduals. A more accurate estImate could not be made because property boundarIes were not surveyed and marked pnor to the SIte VISIt. Once property boundarIes are marked m the field, a separate tortOIse burrow survey wIll need to be conducted to determme the number of tortOIses on Lot 50-B D Wetlands No wetlands occur on the property IV SUMMARY The property contams an area of natural scrub vegetatIOn WIth varymg degrees of dIsturbance. The dIsturbance mcludes dumpmg of trash, prevIOUS cleanng actIVItIes, and encroachment of exotIc and nUisance plant speCIes. Local government ordmances may reqUire preservatIOn or relocatIOn of mdIvIdual natIve trees and plants. AddItIonally, m accordance WIth the Quantum Park Development Order and WIth local government rules, all exotIC plant speCIes occurrmg on the property must be eradIcated. All earleaf acaCia, AustralIan pme, and BrazIlIan pepper whIch occur on the SIte must be removed durmg the development process. Any Impacts to the gopher tortOIse populatIOn or tortOIse habItat must be permItted by FFWCC PermIts Issued by FFWCC mclude off-SIte and on-SIte relocatIOn permIts. After revIewmg the SIte plan, ESI recommends that gopher tortOIses be relocated off-SIte. 6 REFERENCES Flonda Department of Agnculture and Consumer ServIces, DIvlSlon of Plant Industry October 1998 Preservation of NatIve Flora of Flonda, Chapter 5B-40 Flonda Department of TransportatIOn. 1999 Flonda Land Use, Cover & Forms ClassIficatIOn System Handbook. Tallahassee, Flonda. 91 p Flonda Game and Fresh Water FISh CommIsSIOn. 1997 Flonda's Endangered SpecIes, Threatened SpecIes and SpecIes of Special Concern, Official Lists. Tallahassee, Flonda. 15p GIlbert K., J Tobe, R. Cantrell, M. Sweeley and J Cooper 1995 The Flonda Wetlands DelmeatIOn Manual. The Flonda Department of EnvIronmental ProtectIOn, South Flonda Water Management DIstnct, St. Johns RIver Water Management DIstnct, Suwanee RIver Water Management DIstnct, and Northwest Flonda Water Management DIstnct. 197 p U S Department of Agnculture, SoIl ConservatIOn ServIce. 1978 SoIl Survey of Palm Beach County Area, Flonda. 132 p + maps. USAE Waterways Expenment StatIon EnVIronmental Laboratory 1987 Corps of Engmeers Wetlands Delmeatlon Manual, TechnIcal Report Y-87-1, US Army Engmeer Waterways Expenment StatIOn, VIcksburg, Miss. 7 Job: Kevba Hallalt.a, Laadscape An:1litect City of Boyatoa Beach PlaaaiDe aad Zoniag Division 100 E. Boyaton Beach Blvd. Boyaton Beach, FI 33425-0310 Gale Industries Date: LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL DO DD THE COLLAGE COMPANIES To: CONSTRUCTION 6/18101 General Contractors Construction Managers Committed to Quality Pennit # 005599 Quantum Park, Boynton Bch Job No.. 5743 181 Via Hand Delivered WE ARE SENDING YOU. 181 Attached o Under separate cover via Copies 1 Date 6/13/01 Description Site Landscape Plan showing limit of Phase 1& n. These are transmitted as checked below' 181 for approval 0 approved as submitted 18I for your information 0 approval as noted o as requested o see remarks 181 for review & comment o returned for corrections REMARKS . Attached is a previously discussed marked un site plan showin2 the limits of Phase I & II as it oertains to final site landscaoin2. The purpose of the plan is to mark the limit of our work under our current contract. The reason for phasing: the work is due to the relocation of three Gooher Tortoises to the rear of the prooertv under a State Permit. The tortoises seem to have made their home in a cluster of shrubs and trees on the Southwest part of the orooertv. We prODOSe to leave that area undisturbed until the tortoises move to another location on their own or they are relocated off the site completely to exoand the buildin2. Therefore it is our intent to install the landscapinR as shown in the plan un to the Phase I line. The retention pond will be sodded as shown. but the rest of the area will not be disturbed any further to maintain a limited habitat for the rem.aininR tortoise. Please let me know if this is acceptable to you. I have already discussed this matter with Ms. Galav and she is aware ofvour concerns. Thank yOur for your prompt attention to this matter. COPY TO. Lasia Galav, City ofBoyDtoD Bead David Booth, Craig Brace, MASCO Brian Walsh, Robert Aumac:k, Steve PiDyot Tom Beary, The Collage Compallies lOT en 7 12-99 SUITE 100,585 TECHNOLOGY PARK., LAKE MARY FL 32746 _ 407/829-2257 _ FAX 4071829-2258 - www,collagecos,com - gm@collagecos,com .~__c.a:IIlI!_ :2 - R!!L.OG"'T1:D ~t<. OL.I~ ~ ~5eD I!N~V ~IVI! I' PARK @~ ...... -......... ~Z :IIJ11z.. ~-- t ~ PROPOSED 12~ FIRE LINE P. UTlLlTI ~.sMt'NT r'""\ ..... \J 1 ~ ~ .. .s -+ ~ :x s :> 1 qJ HI ~t ~1 ~ -'" " ~1 lU i ! ~~ 1- ,...... " "1t '1J ~ ....a --l- lU .3 ~ ..:i ... Cl 3 ...J --~ ~,~ ." ,.. ~,.. @L....~ .. ltTa J . L 15 I I 1 , I I \ , , I , I I I I I 1 , ;= I I", IP 1m ,P I 0 1 Vl 1 I I 1 _J I I -f ~ 0: o z 8 He,J;e /:lw. a l"'~u It &>f V"E::\o~""~1""5 ~v1..ee. 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