Growth FAQ - Engineering

Are any sites exempt from the Natural Features Inventory requirement?

Per Sec. 5-54(b), TLDC, a site may be exempt from natural features inventory requirements if one of the following conditions exists:

• A natural features inventory was approved by the city within the previous 60 months and has been recertified, if necessary, and staff can verify that no changes to the site have occurred that would alter the previous approval; or
• If all of the following conditions are met: 1.) No conservation or preservation areas, with the exception of a closed basin outside of a 100-year storm event flood exclusion area, are present on or within the project boundary; 2.) The site or project boundary is less than five acres in size, exclusive of impervious surfaces; 3.) The site or project boundary has less than two total acres of forested area or canopy coverage; and 4.) A historical resources clearance letter accompanies the exemption request.
• An expired natural features inventory is recertified. The director, after consultation with the city's senior biologist, has determined that the proposed project boundary represents the appropriate extents of impacts to the underlying parcel and adjacent parcels. The determination will be made on the basis of anticipated impacts to conservation or preservation features that may negatively or substantially affect the ecological functioning or benefit of the feature.