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Home My WebLink About1.03 Impact AnalysisO\OLSSON ASSOCIATES Impact Analysis Larry D. Knox Juniper Hills Private Landing Strip OAProject No. 012-1776 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 102 I Grand Junction, CO 81506 1 TEL 970.263.7800 1 FAX 970 263.7456 O‘OLSSON ASSOCIATES Juniper Hills Private Aircraft Landing Strip Impact Analysis Narrative Article IV, 4 -203 G.1. Adjacent Property Garfield County Assessor's GIS data was used to create adjacent parcels map identifying parcels located within 200' of the subject parcel boundary. This map has been provided to Garfield County and has been identified as Figure 1 — Vicinity Map. Below are the tax parcel numbers in bold and the corresponding land owners and mailing addresses. Adjacent Property Parcel Number: 244702200064 Larry D & Danna B Knox 1600 Airway Rd Lebanon, OR 97355 Parcel Number: 244703100074 Samuel Paul Maness PO Box 1425 Rifle, CO 81650 Parcel Number: 244703100081 Larry D & Danna B Knox 1600 Airway Rd Lebanon, OR 97355 Parcel Number: 244703400037 Rosemary Kious 1895 County Rd 306 Parachute, CO 81635 -9430 Parcel Number: 244703400041 Rosemary Kious 1895 County Rd 306 Parachute, CO 81635 -9430 Parcel Number: 244703400070 Michael D & Rayne!! J Knox 1600 County Rd 306 Parachute, CO 81635 760 Horizon Dr., Suite 102 TEL 970.263.7800 Grand Junction, CO 81506 FAX 970.263.7456 www.olssonassociates.com The majority of local residential uses are located to the west of the property, across Wallace Creek and below the landing strip area. The closest home to the proposed landing strip is located on a separate parcel directly to the west and is owned by the applicant. The landing strip is not visible from most homes in the area. The proposed Juniper Hills site is approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the existing Dry Pen private landing strip. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reviewed the location of each facility in relationship to each other and has made some basic stipulations on their operations and radio communications procedures to mitigate potential conflicts. These stipulations and the subsequent agreement between the two landing strips are included in this application as an attachment. Article IV, 4 -203 G.3. Site Features The proposed landing strip site is located on a bench or plateau above Wallace Creek at approximately 5500 feet in elevation. The landing strip area is approximately 100 to 200 feet above Wallace Creek and 440 feet to the east of the creek at the closest location. Spring Creek is located approximately one -half (1/2) mile to the east of the site and is 100 to 200 feet lower than the landing strip. A broad ridge also separates Spring Creek from the landing strip. The site is highly disturbed due to the recent construction of a natural gas pipeline. The landing strip would be located on the previously disturbed Energy Transfer Company (ETC) natural gas pipeline easement. This easement was graded and revegetated with a buffalo grass seed mix after the pipeline installation in anticipation and knowledge of proposed landing strip. The undisturbed portions of the site are vegetated with a mix of grasses and native shrubs such as rabbitbrush, yucca and sage brush. The periphery of the site consists of pinyon- juniper woodland. A Piceance Energy well pad site is located to the east of the landing strip. Article IV, 4 -203 G.4. Soil Characteristics According to information prepared by the Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey, soils in these sections have been mapped as Ildefonso stony loam (34), Potts loam (56), the Potts - Ildefonso complex (58), and Potts - Ildefonso complex (59). A copy of a NRCS Custom Soil Resource Report for the project site has been provided. Ildefonso stony loam (34) makes up 0.2 % of the soils in the area of interest and is developed on 25 percent to 45 percent slopes consisting of well drained soils in land setting of alluvial fans, and valley sides. Elevations range from 5,000 to 6,500 feet above mean sea level. The parent material of this soil is mixed alluvium derived from basalt. The Potts loam (56) makes up 56.9 % of the soils in the area of interest and is developed on 6 percent to 12 percent slopes, at elevations of 5,000 to 7,000 feet. These soils are found in the landform setting of valley sides, benches, and mesas. The parent material of this soil is alluvium derived from basalt and/or alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. This soil Impact Analysis 3 Juniper Hills Air Strip The ETC application also provided the cultural resource conclusions of Alpine Archaeology Consultants Inc. They performed a literature review of the State of Colorado on -line Compass data base system and found only one report in the area. Grand River Institute recorded a historic irrigation ditch in the area during a 2010 survey. Impacts on cultural resources from the landing strip are unlikely given the previously highly disturbed nature of the land surface. There are no potential radiation hazards identified by the State or County Health Departments on the site. The proposed landing strip is not located on or near a Uranium Mine Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Site. The Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations (40 CFR Part 112) require preparation of an SPCC plan for facilities that have discharged or could reasonably be expected to discharge oil into or upon navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines. Specifically, §112.1(d)(2) requires an SPCC plan to be developed for facilities where the buried below ground storage capacity of oil is greater than 42,000 gallons or the aggregate above ground storage capacity of oil is greater than 1,320 gallons (inclusive of containers with thresholds of 55- gallons or greater). The applicant will not have oil or fuel on the property that approaches these amounts. A SPCC plan is not required. Article IV, 4 -203 G.B. Nuisance The take -off of aircraft will generate the most noise and the greatest nuisance potential from the facility. The low amount of this activity, given its private nature, the screening of the facility by geography from most of the surrounding residential uses and the short duration of the take -off and landing will limit the impacts from noise. The applicant will comply with the noise standards of Garfield County. Article IV, 4 -203 G.9. Reclamation Plan As stated above, the site of the landing strip is highly disturbed due to the natural gas pipeline constructed across the property. The property is currently undergoing reclamation and has been planted with a buffalo grass seed mix. This mix was specified by the land owner for its drought tolerance and non - clumping growth pattern which makes it a more uniform surface and more suitable for a primitive landing strip. The recent dry weather during the last year has slowed the germination of the grass seed and the overall reclamation of the site. Impact Analysis 5 Juniper Hills Air Strip