DULUTH — The public is encouraged to review a 237-page document addressing potential environmental impacts that could accompany the proposed redevelopment of a site that once was home to Duluth Central High School.
The wide-ranging report covers a lot of ground, including the possible effects of the project on wildlife, such as endangered bats; traffic, runoff, waste, potential community benefits or losses, and greenhouse gas emissions.
The review examines plans to build up to 15,900 units of housing and 124,000 square feet of commercial/retail space on the 80-acre property. The proposed development, dubbed Incline Village, would make the largest single addition to Duluth’s housing inventory in decades, at a time when the city has been struggling to meet would-be residents’ needs.
Incline Village would occupy the former Duluth Central campus at 800 E. Central Entrance.
File / Duluth Media Group
The
project would be built in phases
over several years, at a total cost of at least $450 million to $500 million.
The developers — a couple of New York-based limited liability companies by the names of Chester Creek View and Incline Plaza Development — hope to begin work on the first phase of a new neighborhood to be called Incline Village this summer. But first, they must win regulatory approval.
Toward that end, they have prepared an
Alternative Urban Areawide Review
, commonly referred to by the acronym AUAR.
This is a new type of environmental review for Duluth and is characterized in the report as follows: “The content and format of an AUAR must be similar to that of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet but must provide for a level of analysis comparable to that of an Environmental Impact Statement for impacts typical of urban residential, commercial warehousing and light industrial development and associated infrastructure.”
The AUAR contemplates two scenarios: the construction of a business park or a more intense housing/commercial development, more in line with what the owners have actually proposed.
This latter and developer-preferred residential/commercial option is described as a “worst-case scenario for environmental impacts” in the AUAR, which also notes that actual development may be less intense.
A draft of the AUAR was just published this week by the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and will remain open to public comment for 30 days — a period that will expire at 4 p.m. March 21.
A copy of the document is available at the Duluth Public Library and can also be reviewed online at
https://duluthmn.gov/planning-development/environmental/environmental-reviews/
The AUAR indicates the development could result in 33.1 acres of impervious surface and said stormwater systems — including rain gardens, catch basins and infiltration systems — will be installed to handle runoff. The report notes that climate change continues to result in more frequent and heavier rains, a trend that is expected to continue and must be anticipated in the project’s design.
Incline Village has been designed to avoid disrupting 2 acres of wetland on the edges of the study area.
The plan also takes care to protect Brewery Creek, flowing on the north side of the property, as well as Clarkhouse Creek, passing through the south end of the site.
The AUAR asserts: “The creeks are not anticipated to be impacted directly by development.” It notes that no increase in the creeks’ flow rate or volume will be allowed.
As for 27.2 acres of forest on the site, the AUAR predicts no net loss. It notes that many of the densely wooded areas of the property are located on steep slopes that are unsuitable for development.
The report says city code calls for the preservation and replacement of any trees removed during development, should that be necessary.
Where trees must be taken down to allow for development, the AUAR prescribes the cutting be limited to between Nov. 15 and March 31, to avoid potentially impacting two endangered species — the long-eared and tri-colored bats — that could be living in trees the rest of the year, when not in hibernation.
The AUAR also calls for tree surveys before any cutting to identify any active bird nests that should be avoided until fledglings have left.
Contributed / DSGW Architects
The proposed development would include condominiums and apartment buildings up to seven stories tall, and the AUAR acknowledges the danger of bird strikes, particularly involving glass surfaces.
The property is located in the path of the Mississippi Flyway, a major migratory route for birds, including several species “of conservation concern.” To reduce the risk of birds flying into buildings, the AUAR calls for the use of fritted glass, which is patterned to make it more visible.
Existing recreational trails that run through the site, including the Duluth Traverse, would be retained, and a trailhead park with restrooms is proposed. However, the AUAR does acknowledge some “minor rerouting may be necessary.”
Incline Village would generate significant additional traffic — an anticipated 12,679 trips per weekday — and transportation infrastructure will be an important part of the project.
Due to the bedrock on the property, blasting will likely be necessary to allow for the proposed development. The AUAR said neighbors would receive notice in advance; the charges could only be detonated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; and crews would abide by the city’s vibration-control standards to minimize the impact on others.
The study determined that Duluth has sufficient capacity to meet the proposed development’s water needs, but water pressure-boosting equipment may be required. All told, if fully developed, Incline Village is expected to consume about 518,000 gallons of water per day.
As for wastewater, the study determined that the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District has sufficient capacity at its treatment plant to handle the additional anticipated daily load of about 470,500 gallons Incline Village could produce if fully built out.
New sanitary sewer lines, of course, would need to be installed to serve the development, and possible improvements may be required to upscale the system downstream.
After comments on the draft AUAR have been submitted and reviewed, questions will be addressed. Revisions will be considered, and the final document will then be sent to regulatory authorities at the federal, state and city levels for their consideration.
The AUAR is being prepared by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. at a cost of $133,064 to be borne by the would-be developers.
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