Iowa Department of Transportation Concurrent NEPA / 404 Process

Transcription

1 Iowa Department of Transportation Concurrent NEPA / 404 Process Project Name: County: Dallas County Project No.: HDP-8260(629) Concurrence Point 2: PIN: N/A Public Land Survey System: Sections 16,21,22,23,26,27,28 of Boone Township (T-78N, R26W) Project Name and Description: : The City of West Des Moines (City), in coordination with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), propose to extend Grand Prairie Parkway (formerly known as South 105 th Street) south from Mills Civic Parkway to Raccoon River Drive and extend the existing segment of Grand Avenue, adjacent to the Microsoft Data Center at South 88 th Street (the eastern termini), west to the Grand Prairie Parkway extension (the Proposed Action or proposed project). The northern termini connection with Mills Civic Parkway would be located where the in process extension of Grand Prairie Parkway from Interstate 80 is currently being constructed. The southern termini connection with Raccoon River Drive would be located where the committed construction of the Raccoon River bridge would be constructed. The City has designated this project as the Grand Technology Gateway. The proposed project is located at the western end of the City of West Des Moines. The (Project Study Area) is bounded by Mills Civic Parkway (335 th Street) to the north, Raccoon River Drive (360 th Street) to the south, a line extending southward from Wendover Road ending near Raccoon River Drive to the west, and by Sugar Creek and the adjacent residential development to the east. The following requirements for Concurrence Point 2, are complete: Concurrence Point 1 (Purpose and Need) has been met. The proposed improvements contain adequate detail showing beginning and ending points of the improvements The proposed improvements display impacts to known environmentally sensitive areas in the project area An adequate range of proposed alternatives are being developed. An adequate number of alternatives are currently under consideration. The scope of the current alternatives currently being developed will likely satisfy permitting requirements. Potentially Affected Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Church/Cemeteries Cultural Resources Farmland Floodplains Homes and Businesses Land Use Prairies Recreational Areas Refuge Areas Regulated Materials Roads and Utilities Sovereign Lands Special Rivers Streams T&E, Wildlife, Plant Unique Land Forms Wetlands Woodlands Attachments: Description of : (See following 2 pages for more detail) No Build Alternative Build Alternative 1 Grand Avenue (North) and Grand Prairie Parkway (West) Build Alternative 2 Grand Avenue (South) and Grand Prairie Parkway (West) Build Alternative 3 Grand Avenue (South) and Grand Prairie Parkway (East) Concurrence on Alternative Aerial Display Resource Impact Aerial Resource Impact Table Note: Alternative Aerial Display is superimposed on Resource Impact Aerial as Figure 1. After consultation with the signatory agencies, it is determined that (check one): The agency concurs on the project s Range of The project s complexity warrants a meeting (face-to-face, teleconference, or webinar). The project is not of sufficient complexity to warrant additional coordination and handling, or The discovery of need for an individual permit is too late in the project development to revisit Concurrence Point 1. The project is not suitable for NEPA/404 process outlined in the agreement. Please respond in writing with your concurrence and/or comments within thirty (30) days after receipt of this submittal. No response, comment, request for additional information, or request for time extension within thirty (30) days will signify that you concur with this assessment. Agency Representative, Name of Agency Date:

2 Project Name: Grand Technology Gateway County: Dallas County Iowa Department of Transportation Concurrent NEPA / 404 Process Project No.: HDP-8260(629) PIN: N/A Concurrence Point 2: Description of Project Name and Description: : The City of West Des Moines (City), in coordination with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), propose to extend Grand Prairie Parkway (formerly known as South 105 th Street) south from Mills Civic Parkway to Raccoon River Drive and extend the existing segment of Grand Avenue, adjacent to the Microsoft Data Center at South 88 th Street (the eastern termini), west to the Grand Prairie Parkway extension (the Proposed Action or proposed project). The northern termini connection with Mills Civic Parkway would be located where the in-process extension of Grand Prairie Parkway from Interstate 80 is currently being constructed. The southern termini connection with Raccoon River Drive would be located where the committed construction of the Raccoon River bridge would be constructed. The City has designated this project as the. The proposed project is located at the western end of the City of West Des Moines. The (Project Study Area) is bounded by Mills Civic Parkway (335 th Street) to the north, Raccoon River Drive (360 th Street) to the south, a line extending southward from Wendover Road ending near Raccoon River Drive to the west, and by Sugar Creek and the adjacent residential development to the east. Description of : No Build Alternative Under the No Build Alternative, Grand Avenue would remain as-is with the existing roadway running from the Microsoft Data Center driveway east to an at-grade intersection with South 88 th Street. Grand Prairie Parkway would not be extended from Mills Civic Parkway at the northern terminus south to Raccoon River Drive at the southern terminus. This alternative would not provide transportation system linkage as detailed in the City of West Des Moines 2010 Comprehensive Plan nor support economic development in the area. This alternative does not satisfy the Project Purpose and Need requirements. Build Alternatives Alternatives were developed from identifying two north-south alignments for the northern portion of the Project Study Area and two east-west alignments for the southern portion of the Project Study Area. Build Alternative 1 includes the alignments of Grand Avenue (North) and Grand Prairie Parkway (West). Build Alternative 2 includes the alignments of Grand Avenue (South) and Grand Prairie Parkway (West). Build Alternative 3 includes the alignments of Grand Avenue (South) and Grand Prairie Parkway (East). The following is a description of the four alignment options shown on Figure 1. Each alignment is defined by a different color, noted in brackets at the end of each alignment title.

3 Grand Avenue (North) [magenta line in Figure 1] Grand Avenue (North) would provide for the construction of six new lanes along the northern portion of the study area, from the Grand Prairie Parkway extension at the western terminus to existing Grand Avenue approximately 1,250 feet west of South 88 th Street at the eastern terminus. This alignment would require the acquisition of 165-foot-wide right-of-way (ROW) and generally follows the City of West Des Moines 2010 Comprehensive Plan. This alignment is not geometrically compatible with Grand Prairie Parkway (East). Grand Avenue (South) [yellow line in Figure 1] Grand Avenue (South) would provide for the construction of six new lanes along the southern portion of the study area, from the Grand Prairie Parkway extension at the western terminus to existing Grand Avenue approximately 1,250 feet west of South 88 th Street at the eastern terminus. This alignment would require the acquisition of 165-foot-wide ROW. Grand Prairie Parkway (West) [green line in Figure 1] Grand Prairie Parkway (West) would provide for the construction of six new lanes along the western portion of the study area, from Raccoon River Drive at the southern terminus to Mills Civic Parkway at the northern terminus. This alignment would require the acquisition of 165-foot-wide ROW and generally follows the City of West Des Moines 2010 Comprehensive Plan. Grand Prairie Parkway (East) [blue line in Figure 1] Grand Prairie Parkway (East) would provide for the construction of six new lanes along the eastern portion of the study area, from Raccoon River Drive at the southern terminus to Mills Civic Parkway at the northern terminus. This alignment would require the acquisition of 165-foot-wide ROW and would impact a planned residential development. This alignment is not geometrically compatible with Grand Avenue (North).

4 Northern Terminus Pkwy Mills Civic e Cr ga r Su Wendover Rd Grand Prairie Parkway Construction (Programmed for 2014) k e a Stageco S 88th St Stagecoach Dr Construction over Sugar Creek (Planned for 2015) 335th St c h Dr Planned Residential Development Sugar Creek Dr S 95t h St B oo ne vi lle R d Eastern Terminus ille Rd Grand Ave Xavier Pl B v ne oo Grand Ave. Construction (To be Constructed prior to GTG) Sug a on ns Joh C ree k ad oon Railro R acc IAIS Southern Terminus Rive r C reek r Dr Grand Prairie Parkway Construction Over Raccoon River (Committed) Note: See Figure 2 for Planned Improvements South of Study Area Build Alternative 1 Study Area Build Alternative 3 Residential Build Alternative 2 Grand Avenue (North) Grand Avenue (South) Grand Prairie Parkway (East) Grand Prairie Parkway (West) Booneville Road Future Road Projects (By Others) IAIS Railroad Potential Topeka Shiner Habitat Streams Figure 1 Concurrence Point 2: Parcels Steep Slopes Ponds NWI Wetlands Woodlands* Agricultural Land 500 Year Floodplain 100 Year Floodplain Floodway *Potential Indiana and Northern long-eared bat habitat ,500 Environmental Assessment Feet Revised: Sept Aerial West Des Moines, Iowa

5 Development Note: See Figure 1 for Planned r Creek Dr at North End of Study Area SugaImprovements S 95t h St B oo ne vi lle R d Eastern Terminus Rd Grand Ave Xavier Pl e on Bo le vi l Grand Ave. Construction (To be Constructed prior to GTG) Sug a on ns Joh R ad oon Railro R acc IAIS C ree k Southern Terminus iver D r C reek r Grand Prairie Parkway Construction Over Raccoon River (Committed) Proposed Bridge Over Raccoon River (Committed) Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Build Alternative 1 Study Area Build Alternative 3 Residential Build Alternative 2 Grand Avenue (North) Grand Avenue (South) Grand Prairie Parkway (East) Grand Prairie Parkway (West) Booneville Road Future Road Projects (By Others) IAIS Railroad Potential Topeka Shiner Habitat Streams Figure 2 Concurrence Point 2: Parcels Steep Slopes Ponds NWI Wetlands Woodlands* Agricultural Land 500 Year Floodplain 100 Year Floodplain Floodway *Potential Indiana and Northern long-eared bat habitat ,500 Environmental Assessment Feet Revised: Sept Aerial West Des Moines, Iowa

6 Iowa Department of Transportation Concurrent NEPA / 404 Process Project Name: County: Dallas County Public Land Survey System: Sections 16,21,22,23,26,27,28 of Boone Township (T-78N, R26W) Project Name and Description: Project No.: HDP-8260(629) Concurrence Point 2: PIN: Resource Impact Table N/A : The City of West Des Moines (City), in coordination with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), propose to extend Grand Prairie Parkway south from Mills Civic Parkway to Raccoon River Drive and extend the existing segment of Grand Avenue, adjacent to the Microsoft Data Center at South 88 th Street (the eastern termini), west to the Grand Prairie Parkway extension (the Proposed Action or proposed project). The northern termini connection with Mills Civic Parkway would be located where the in process extension of Grand Prairie Parkway from Interstate 80 is currently being constructed. The southern termini connection with Raccoon River Drive would be located where the committed construction of the Raccoon River bridge will be constructed. The City has designated this project as the. The s project history in relationship to area roadway projects and their related regulatory agency activities is attached. The proposed project is located at the western end of the City of West Des Moines. The (Project Study Area) is bounded by Mills Civic Parkway (335 th Street) to the north, Raccoon River Drive (360 th Street) to the south, a line extending southward from Wendover Road ending near Raccoon River Drive to the west, and by Sugar Creek and the adjacent residential development to the east. Environmental No Build Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Cultural Resources 0 (a)(c) (a)(b)(c) (a)(b)(c) Floodplains (acres) Prairies (acres) Recreational Areas Regulated Materials Sovereign Lands (acres) Special rivers Streams (feet) (e) (e) (e) T&E, Wildlife, Plant 0 1 (d) 1 (d) 0 Unique Land Forms (acres) Wetlands (acres) (e) 3.65 (e) 0.40 (e) Woodlands (acres) Properties Businesses Church s/cemeteries Farmland (acres) Homes

7 (a) All alternatives impact an archaeological site which was previously studied and parallel a potential archaeological site. (b) Alternatives 2 and 3 have the potential to impact an area previously surveyed for archaeological investigation (surface survey only). (c) All alternatives currently parallel a potentially significant architectural building site. However, it is anticipated that evaluation will yield a No Effect or No Adverse Effect to the property. (d) Alternatives 1 and 2 have the potential to impact a bat roost tree. (e) Information obtained from field data.