Ordinance No. 20201 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Generally, development adjacent to wetlands will have some level of adverse effect upon the wetlands or the wildlife that use them. Common impacts include stormwater runoff pollution, litter, noise, human activity that disturbs wildlife, lights that shine into wildlife habitat areas at night, air pollution and chemical spills. These impacts can be minimized through code-required setback requirements adjacent to protected wetlands, through stormwater regulations and through development controls applied as part of the land development process. Lands adjacent to wetlands designated for Protection in the West Eugene Wetlands Plan are rezoned following designation to put in place requirements for protective setbacks. In designating all of the wetlands in the southeast and southwest fields for Restoration and Protection, the Council has minimized the potential impacts from new development on the Hyundai site on Eugene's most valuable wetland area. The Nature Conservancy has submitted inventory data showing substantial populations of the state-listed endangered plant Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens in the field immediately east of the Hyundai property. We conclude that designation of the southeast field for Restoration would provide an effective buffer between Hyundai's development and the Willow Creek Natural Area, and therefore is consistent with Goal 3.3. The public record on this item includes testimony asserting that there may be impacts to sensitive or rare species on the Willow Creek Natural Area from new development on the Hyundai site, and that expansion of Hyundai' s facilities could imperil the wetlands designated for Restoration in the southeast field through air pollution, surface or groundwater pollution or through accidental spills. Given the information in the record, these projected impacts cannot be properly characterized or evaluated at this point. Furthermore, given that the wetland designation criteria do not address these types of impacts, these assertions about possible future impacts do not bear directly on the decision of how to designate a particular wetland. To date, no adverse impacts to sensitive species, rare species or other native wetland plants or animals has been documented from Hyundai' s current operations. Since any Hyundai expansion is likely to utilize the latest emerging technology, it is not possible at this time to forecast what pollutants would be released in what quantities, nor what impact they would have on nearby plant and animal populations. It is not correct to assume that simply protecting more wetlands on the Hyundai site will protect the Willow Creek Natural Area from air pollution, water pollution or accidental spills from existing or future adjacent uses, since existing development or new development on previously approved development sites could lead to these kinds of impacts. Protection of adjacent wetlands from air and water pollution impacts or accidental spills will be primarily dependent upon the design and construction of a new facility, its safety and environmental programs and equipment and how carefully the facility is operated. None of these factors can be controlled by a wetland designation decision. Goal 3.5 "Protect and expand current populations and habitats of rare plants and animals that currently exist in west Eugene." Hyundai Site Ordinance, Exhibit C (Refinement Plan Amendment Findings) Page 23