The
district commander has received a joint application for federal and state
permits as described below:
APPPLICANT
Notch Retail Development, LLC
Mr.
Chris Corrada
800
East Canal Street, Suite 1900
Richmond,
Virginia 23219
WATERWAY AND LOCATION OF
THE PROPOSED WORK: The project site is approximately 11 acres
and is located south of Route 250, west of Wilkes Ridge Parkway, in Goochland
County, Virginia. The site drains into
Tuckahoe Creek, a tributary to the James River, a navigable water of the U.S.
PROPOSED
WORK AND PURPOSE: The applicant proposes to construct a
commercial development and associated infrastructure, including parking and
internal roads, within and an existing business park known as “West
Creek”. As proposed the project will
permanently impact 0.36 acre of forested wetlands. To mitigate for these impacts, the applicant
proposes to purchase 0.72 wetland credit from the James River Wetland Mitigation
Bank. The applicant has indicated that
on-site avoidance and minimization is not financially practicable. Previously
authorized impacts for the development of the West Creek Business Park are approximately
12 acres.
In addition to the required Department
of the Army permit, the applicant must obtain a Virginia Water Protection
Permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) assuring
that applicable laws and regulations pertaining to water quality are not
violated. Project drawings are attached.
AUTHORITY: Permits are required pursuant to
Sections 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act (Public Law 95-217) and Title 62.1
of the Code of Virginia.
FEDERAL EVALUATION OF
APPLICATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will
be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts
of the proposed activity on the public interest. The decision will reflect the
national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources.
The benefits which reasonably may be expected from the proposal must be
balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All of the proposal's
relevant factors will be considered, including conservation, economics,
aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and
wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use classification,
navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and
conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production,
mineral needs, consideration of property ownership and, in general, the needs
and welfare of the people. The Environmental Protection Agency's
"Guidelines for Specification of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill
Material" will also be applied (Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water
Act).
The
Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; federal, state, and
local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in
order to consider and evaluate the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of
this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps
of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit
for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts
on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general
environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above.
Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an
Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to
determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity. Anyone may
request a public hearing to consider this permit application by writing to the
District Commander within 30 days of the date of this notice, stating specific
reasons for holding the public hearing. The District Commander will then decide
if a hearing should be held.
Preliminary review indicates that: there may be an effect to listed/proposed/candidate
species and/or designated/proposed critical habitat under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 and the Official Species List and Species
Conclusion Table is attached for review and comment by Fish and Wildlife
Service;
and (3) no known properties eligible for inclusion or included in the National
Register of Historic Places are in or near the permit area, or would likely be
affected by the proposal. Additional
information might change any of these findings.
COMMENT
PERIOD: Comments on this project should be made in
writing, addressed to the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers (ATTN: CENAO-WR-R), 803 Front Street, Norfolk,
Virginia 23510-1096, and should be
received by the close of business on April 30 2016
PRIVACY
& CONFIDENTIALITY:
Comments and information, including the identity of the submitter,
submitted in response to this Public Notice may be disclosed, reproduced, and
distributed at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Information
that is submitted in connection with this Public Notice cannot be maintained as
confidential by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions should not include any
information that the submitter seeks to preserve as confidential.
If you have any questions about this
project or the permit process, contact Silvia Gazzera at silvia.b.gazzera@usace.army.mil,
(804) 212-6817.