SWF-2012-00432 Project Guapo

Published Dec. 27, 2012
Expiration date: 1/25/2013

 

JOINT PUBLIC NOTICE

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FORT WORTH DISTRICT

AND

TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

 

SUBJECT:  Application for a Department of the Army Permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and for water quality certification under Section 401 of the CWA to discharge dredged and fill material into waters of the United States associated with construction of a mixed-use commercial office complex.

 

APPLICANT:     BCS Office Investments One, LP

                         c/o Mr. Don Mills

                         8115 Preston Road, Suite 700

                         Dallas, Texas  75225

 

APPLICATION NUMBER:  SWF-2012-00432

 

DATE ISSUED:  December 26, 2012

 

LOCATION:  The proposed project would be located at the northwest intersection of East Renner Road and North Plano Road in the city of Richardson, Collin County, Texas.  The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) North American Datum 1983 coordinates for the approximate center point of the proposed project are as follows: Latitude 33.0002° North, Longitude -96.7028° West.   The proposed project would be located approximately at UTM coordinates 32.999 East and -96.701 North Zone 14 on the Garland and Plano 7.5-minute USGS quadrangle maps in USGS Hydrologic Unit 12030106.

 

OTHER AGENCY AUTHORIZATIONS:  State Water Quality Certification

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  The applicant proposes to discharge approximately 1,000-cubic yards of dredged and fill material into approximately 0.26-acres (1,420-linear feet (lf) of perennial stream) of waters of the United States (WOUS) in conjunction with the construction of the project, including rerouting of the stream into approximately 1,600-lf of double 8-foot by 8-foot culverts.  Total proposed impacts to waters of the U.S. are 0.26-acres (1,420-lf of perennial stream).

 

The project is a transit oriented, mixed use development located in northern Richardson, Texas. The main tenant would be State Farm Insurance Company. The project is roughly 35-acres and contains 1,520,000-square feet of office space, located in three towers with parking garages integrated into lower levels of the towers.  It is also expected to include up to three multifamily residential areas with approximately 1,000 individual units as well as the potential to develop a limited service hotel or an undetermined entertainment venue.  Central to the development is a retail core which would offer restaurant, shops and service amenities to the corporate user and to the public at-large.  The project has been designed to be a pedestrian friendly development, and would include multiple outdoor gathering spaces and a large central plaza.  The campus is directly adjacent to the Bush Turnpike DART Station and the majority of the development is within a ½-mile walking radius from the station to facilitate convenient access to rail services.

 

Sheet 1 of 5 provides a vicinity map while Sheet 2 of 5 provides the project location on USGS topographic base mapping.  Sheet 3 of 5 provides a depiction of waters of the U.S. on 2010 aerial base mapping.  Sheet 4 of 5 provides the major project elements, including proposed impacts to waters of the U.S., building footprints, culvert locations, and cross section location for work in waters of the U.S.  Sheet 5 of 5 provides a cross section of works in WOUS.

 

The project area contains an unnamed tributary to Spring Creek, which has a perennial flow regime.  The unnamed tributary flows in a southerly direction along the western portion of the project area for approximately 2,820-lf.  The project area also has a 0.08-acre forested wetland.  The wetland and 1,400-lf of stream are proposed to be avoided.  The project would result in 1,420-lf of stream placed into box culverts to facilitate the proposed development. 

 

Table 1.  Table of Waters of the U.S. Impacted by the Proposed Project. (See attached Public Notice PDF to view the complete Public Notice including tables and figures.)

 

 

ALTERNATIVE SITE LOCATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE LAYOUTS:  A regional search for other available properties was conducted by the applicant. No other sites could be identified which would be in close proximity to an existing public rail transportation facility.  Alternative configurations of the project were explored which included much less density in both vertical and horizontal development.  Under this alternative, a large single corporate building would have been developed.  This single building concept would have provided the same tenant space and potentially avoided portions of the stream proposed for impacts under the preferred alternative.  However, it was determined that the single building concept did not meet the tenant needs of appropriate space distribution.  The applicant’s preferred alternative, consisting of multiple buildings and open spaces in close proximity to the rail station, would meet the requirements of tenants for facility spacing and transportation.

 

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: Impacts to WOUS are proposed to be mitigated for by purchasing credits from an approved mitigation bank serving the project area according to their established mitigation banking instrument, prior to the discharge of fill into WOUS.

 

See attached Public Notice PDF to view the complete Public Notice including tables and figures.