Capital Hill PUD Page 65 of 67 <br />Planned Unit Development Application - Tentative Stage - Written Statement <br />March 3, 2017 Revised:June 19, 2017 <br />• Environmental quality <br />When it comes to evaluating a project with respect to environmental quality (also not defined in <br />the code), the conversation is often about existing vegetation and in particular, significant trees. <br />In this context, the word "significant" is a misnomer. While "significant" is defined as any tree <br />with an 8" DBH or more, the definition does not take into account the health and value of the <br />existing trees. <br />The expectation with respect to trees is to save healthy trees by designing around them and to <br />place site elements (like roads, utilities, home sites) where trees are of a lesser quality. That <br />just isn't how nature is arranged, with respect to development that is appropriate considering <br />the base zone. The deference in site design is with respect to stress (access), connectivity, <br />and emergency vehicle access. If significant, healthy trees can be preserved, then they will be. <br />In this case, we chose to preserve large areas of vegetation, regardless of the health of the <br />trees. As a result of both common sense and a desire for minimal disturbance to the site, the <br />private road is placed higher up on the site. This ensures the road remains within the footprint <br />of existing circulation on-site and in an area that would cause the least amount of cut and fill <br />and erosion. Placing this road further east would simply result in more cut and till and <br />vegetation removal with no added benefit. <br />Preserving approximately 30% of the site along the east boundary allowed us to combine this <br />area with the existing forested area on the Ribbon Trail property (200 feet wide) to create one <br />larger preserved area. This benefits the proposed development by preserving one of the <br />existing amenities on the site (vegetation), provides some privacy for the proposed lots, and <br />also visually protects the Ribbon Trail visually from the proposed development. <br />It also benefits the existing vegetation by preserving existing soil conditions and root systems, <br />eliminating erosion, and diminishing potential windthrow for trees that are used to being in a <br />protected group. <br />Schirmer Satre Group • 375 West 4 m Avenue, Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401 • (541) 686-4540 <br />This ranch style home uses traditional materials and is dominated by cars out of necessity, as parking <br />is from the uphill side. <br />