Final Environmental Impact Statement

Capstone Consulting

Proposed Smart Growth Community at Lums Pond State Park Campground

Dana Tomczak, Jacob Capodanno, George Strosnider

Delaware Technical Community College
400 Stanton-Christiana Road
Newark, Delaware 19713

The purpose of the project is to develop a community in place of the current Lums Pond
Campground that includes commercial elements as well as a variety of residential dwellings
while incorporating concepts of Smart Growth design. This project will bring people together in
common green spaces, park-like areas and Green Roads. The design will connect all current
bike and walking trails from Lums Pond State Park to the new Smart Growth Community. This
type of development will protect the current wildlife and natural environment much more than a
traditional development could. The residential units will include larger estate homes,
townhomes and a few apartments to create a community with a variety of residents with
different levels of income. This project will create a main street-town feel by incorporating
commercial buildings such as a coffee shop, book store and bike rental shop for residents of the
community as well as outsiders. A satellite school for innovative technology will also be built on
site as a part of this project. This project will also implement stormwater best management
practices and a wastewater treatment facility to accommodate the environmental impacts of the
proposed development. The design will flawlessly flow from the Smart Growth Community to
Lums Pond State Park creating unique and beautiful aesthetics that will draw in potential home
buyers and customers equally.

Comments must be received by April 30, 2017

SUMMARY

This environmental impact statement has been created to determine the effects of the
proposed development of the Smart Growth community at 1068 Howell School Road, Bear DE
19701. This community will have a variety of dwellings including large estate homes,
townhomes and apartments. The developers will also incorporate commercial elements on the
property. These will include a book shop, coffee shop, bike rental shop, and a satellite school for
innovative technology. The project will include implementing stormwater management facilities
and a wastewater treatment plant on site. The major areas being analyzed for environmental
impact from development for this site include existing and planned development land use,
effects to historic properties, noise, groundwater, soils, water quality, flooding, wetlands, air
quality, sea level rise, climate change, vegetation and wildlife. This environmental impact
statement also looks into the possible environmental impacts that a no-build alternative and a
traditional development alternative would have on the site. The no-build alternative would not
change or affect the site in any way. However, the current campground can not create a close
knit and active community for potential homeowners and customers as the proposed Smart
Growth residential and commercial community can. This environmental impact statement
concludes that the proposed Smart Growth community will not affect land use, cultural
resources or any section of the natural environment in any significant way. Noise, soils,
wetlands, floodplains, climate change and sea level rise will not be impacted by development in
any way. Groundwater, surface water, and air quality will be impacted very slightly but not in
any significant way. Impacts to groundwater and surface water will be mitigated by
implementing the stormwater management plan and best management practices (BMPs) such
as infiltration basins, bioswales and an underground detention basin. This project will not
impact climate change. There will be an increase in transportation but not a large enough
amount to make a significant change in emissions in the area. Air quality will also not be
significantly impacted by a Smart Growth Community. Again, there will be an increase in traffic
and car emissions but there will be many open green spaces put on the site that will provide an
area for more vegetation for natural filtering of the air. The proposed Smart Growth community
will not significantly impact or harm the environment in any way.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary

1 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need

1.1 Project Purpose

1.2 Project Need

2 Chapter 2 Alternatives

2.1 No-build Alternative

2.2 Preferred Smart Growth Community Alternative
2.3 Traditional Development Alternative

3 Chapter 3 Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences

3.1 Land Use

3.1.1 Existing Land Use
3.1.2 Planned Development
3.2 Cultural Resources
3.2.1 Effects to Historic Properties
3.3 Noise
3.3.1 Predicted Noise Levels
3.4 Natural Environment
3.4.1 Groundwater
3.4.2 Soils
3.4.3 Surface Waters and Water Quality
3.4.4 Floodplains
3.4.5 Wetlands
3.4.6 Vegetation and Wildlife
3.4.7 Climate Change
3.4.8 Sea Level Rise
3.4.9 Air Quality

5 Chapter 5 List of Preparers

6 Chapter 6 List of Agencies

7 Chapter 7 Appendix

8 Chapter 8 References

1 Chapter 1 Purpose and Needs

1.1 Project Purpose

The purpose for the project is to create a Smart Growth community of

approximately 89 acres in the area.The site will feature 89 single family homes, 63
townhomes, 30 apartments, one educational college on site, and several commercial
buildings with a total of 11,500 square feet on site. The development will be small and
will not cover as much land as a traditional development alternative. This will also
preserve more land and open space. The reason for preserving more land is because
Lums Pond State Park is a State Resource Area (SRA), according to the Delaware
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). This means that
the area is one of Delawares most important open space lands. State Resource Areas
(SRAs), are literally defined as those open space lands duly identified by the (Delaware
Open Space) Council and adopted by the department for protection. In an overview of
the 2006 version of SRA maps, approximately 285,000 acres of land, which is 22
percent of Delawares total land area, were designated as SRAs. This includes the Lums
Pond State Park and its campground. Another purpose of the project is to promote a
sense of community by incorporating commercial aspects within walking distance of the
residential units. New Castle Countys Guidelines for Counties and Municipalities to
Protect Ecological Features of State Resource Areas defines enhancing quality of life as
...providing scenic beauty and natural-resource based recreation The new
community will have scenic beauty on the site with Lums pond as well as plenty of open
space and park areas.This is based on all three counties within Delaware stating that
open space is important to the overall quality of life for their citizens. New Castle
Countys draft comprehensive plan cites open space as an important component of the
countys quality of life (New Castle County, 2006). Minimizing land use and providing
more open space will enhance the quality of life.

The community will have outdoor recreational opportunities and promote healthy
lifestyles including walking and biking. The community will promote healthy, educated
lifestyles and will protect and preserve the ecological features. Ecological features that
the proposed community will address through the redevelopment process include quality
of life and livability, provision of the wildlife and associated habitats, and maintenance of
the natural landscape. The satellite school for innovative technology will promote
education through a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
curriculum.

1.2 Project Need

The current site is a state park campground and there is need for redevelopment
to improve the infrastructure. There is also a need to preserve as much natural
environment areas for vegetation and wildlife as possible . The need for a Smart Growth
community to handle an increase in population is due to the current projection for
population of the U.S. to increase 33 percent by 2030. The Smart Growth community
will be a well designed high density mixed use community.
There is also a need for implementation of stormwater conveyance techniques
and tactics to reduce runoff and pollution to decrease potential for groundwater
contamination.
The current site is also a State Resource Area (SRA). SRAs contain several
types of land such as conservation lands, Delawares Green Infrastructure Lands,
Wetlands, Forests, Key Wildlife Habitats, Cultural Resources, and Silvicultural or
agricultural lands. The current Lums Pond State Park land falls in all of these categories,
which is why preservation of more land is preferred. Conservation lands include federal,
state, county, city, and private conservation easements, as well as agricultural
easements. As a State Park, the land is conserved land. There are also wetlands near
the site. The Lums Pond itself, and the C&D Canal watersheds need to be preserved
and protected. By providing a Smart Growth community, rather than a no-build
alternative, or a traditional land development alternative, the community will provide the
best means of preservation for the site such as stormwater runoff best management
practices (BMPs), which also help reduce pollution during flooding events.
The proposed community will also help stimulate the local economy with the
development of commercial elements. The coffee shop, bookstore and bike rental shop
will draw in outsiders and possible homebuyers to the community.
The Lums Pond State Park has historical buildings and sites that need to be
preserved as well as the pond itself, which was built to serve as an impoundment for the
Chesapeake and Delaware canal in 1963. It is also the largest freshwater pond in
Delaware.
The historic Lums Mill house is also on the site and is currently in very poor
condition. This is another need for the site to be redeveloped because the Lums Mill
house will be a historic and educational opportunity for the community . A no-build
alternative may leave the historical aspects of the site alone resulting in further
weathering from air and water pollution. Redevelopment would be better because new
vegetation will be installed along with the stormwater best management practices that
will protect the property from flooding that would result in damage to the house.
There are also species of greatest conservation need associated with the site.
Specifically, the Delmarva Fox squirrel and the Frosted Elfin are of greatest conservation
need within the area. The Delmarva Fox Squirrel is of great conservation need due to
residential and commercial development, housing and urban development, as well as
residential development causing forest habitat conversion. The Frosted Elfin is of great
concern due to resource management needs, resource information collection needs, a
lack of up-to-date existing information, and a lack of recent monitoring of element
occurrences. The proposed community will not impact either of these species because
development will only occur in areas that are already cleared. Additional areas will be
left alone as green open space throughout the community serving as areas for wildlife
to safely pass through to the surrounding forests.
 The area needs a Smart Growth community to enhance the quality of life for the
New Castle County population as well as improvement to the ecological aspects of the
site. This project will be aimed towards educating the residents and the general public of
the importance of preservation of ecological features.

2 Chapter 2 Alternatives

2.1 No Build Alternatives

The No-build alternative to the proposed project is to not build, develop or

change the land and environment on site in any way. The site is currently Lums Pond
State Park Campground, with 73 camping sites. The No-build Alternative does not meet
the purpose and need for this proposed project because it does not accommodate
bringing diversity through Smart Growth, becoming a more sustainable site for wildlife,
an educational area for historical and archeological uses on property or meeting the
needs of the growing population. However, It does provide a baseline condition with
which to compare the other proposed alternatives and their consequences.

2.2 Preferred Smart Growth Community Alternative

The preferred Smart Growth community alternative will be our recommended

route of development because it will accommodate the rise in population New Castle
County, as well as providing solutions to the unappealing tendencies associated with the
traditional development urban sprawl communities. The Smart Growth option will ensure
that we have a closer community, as well as diverse community, by incorporating both
single-family homes, and townhomes and apartments. This will provide our property with
more economic competitiveness by attracting a diverse resident base. This will be
achieved through the grouping of single family housing, apartments,and townhomes, in
different areas of the site, yet still bringing them together as one single community.
Since we plan on having the housing in one general area, this will leave room for open
space to be accounted for, as well as maintaining the protected areas of the property.
There will be 38.42 acres out of the total 89 acres left for open space and parkland.
There will be a community area in the middle for picnics and such, as well as
incorporating a town clock to give that sense of a warm community. When looking
through a transportation standpoint, the design will take advantage of the various trails to
be incorporated into our community, so that the people living there can easily walk or
bike to their destination within the community. This will reduce the commute time for
those living on the property, due to the close proximity to their workplace. This
community will also take advantage of the public transportation system, which will cut
back on congestion, and also add to the sense of community, as well as having a
welcome building. This will also provide the property with a more aesthetically pleasing
appearance due to the diverse makeup of the developing at hand.
2.3 Traditional Development Alternative

The traditional development is an alternative to the proposed Smart Growth

community. A traditional development is a typical community or neighborhood that tries
to fit in as many dwellings as possible. Typically traditional developments have houses
or townhouses that are nearly identical. The purpose of this type of development is
geared towards the more bang for your buck rather than considering aesthetics and the
natural environment. A Urban Sprawl community is a traditional development that is
located around an urban area. The developments draw a large amount of people out of
the city into the community. This alternative will not meet the purpose and need for this
project because it does not diversify the types of housing being proposed, and it does
not take advantage of the clustering of housing which will eliminate much wanted green
space. The vegetation and wildlife would be compromised with this alternative because
the natural environment, such as forests would be ruined. This alternative will also build
on the already growing congestion rates of the amount of vehicles. Although proving to
be much more expensive, this alternative can prove to require much less planning and
work, due to the copy and paste building method these developers tend to use. Please
reference the following Figure 2.3 to views costs of urban sprawl from the Sierra Clubs
The Cost of Sprawl in Delaware 2000 Report.

Costs of Sprawl
 Figure 2.3 Sierra Clubs The Cost of Sprawl in Delaware 2000 Report

3 Chapter 3 Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences

3.1 Land Use

3.1.1 Existing Land Use

The property at 1068 Howell School Road Bear, DE 19701 is currently being
used as Lums Pond State Park Campground. It is 89 acres of state owned land zoned
as Suburban Reserve. There are 68 paved sites with electric, water and sewer hook-
ups suitable for RVs. There are an additional 5 non-paved campsites for tent camping.

3.1.2 Planned Development

 The proposed project for the site will turn it into a mixed residential and
commercial property zoned as Suburban Hamlet. There will be a variety of residential
homes, commercial shops and a school on the premises.
For residential buildings, the project will build 87 single family homes, 63
townhouses, and 30 apartments on site.
For commercial buildings, the project will build a Satellite School of Innovative
Technology as well as a bookstore, coffee shop and bike rental shop that will total in
approximately 11,500 square feet. Sewer and stormwater management structures will
be constructed on site. A package wastewater treatment will also be brought onto the
site.
When referencing the figure below (3.1.2a) the single family home lots are shown
in the blue area, the townhome lots in the purple area, the apartments in the brown area,
the commercial area is in red and the school area is in green. For a numbered and
detailed site map please reference the following figure 3.1.2c that also shows the
location of the wastewater treatment packaged plant at the southeast corner of the site.

Figure 3.1.2a Site Sketch Plan

 In the following figure 3.1.2b the sewer lines are shown in the bold black lines.
There are five watersheds that have been delineated and chosen as areas for the
stormwater be management practices and they are labeled as Watershed 1-5. The
areas in green represent the 38.42 acres of open green space.

Figure 3.1.2b Watersheds (areas of BMPs), Sewer Lines and Open Space on Site
 Figure 3.2.1c Site Plan

3.2 Cultural Resources

3.2.1 Effects to Historic Properties

There is one historic house located on the site called the Lums Mill House. It is
currently in deteriorated condition and needs major structural repairs. There will be a
one acre buffer around the Lums Mill House to protect it from any development. To view
a map of the Lums Mill house please reference Figure 3.2.
 Lums Mill House

Figure 3.2 Lums Mill House

The no build alternative will not change or impact the Lums Mill House in any
way.

The Smart Growth community will be not affect the Lums Mill house due to the
one acre buffer. Development would be far enough away to not have any negative
impact on the Lums Mill House.

The traditional development alternative will not affect the Lums Mill House due to
the 1 acre buffer.

3.3 Noise

3.3.1 Predicted Noise Levels

There are currently no issues with the amount of noise on the property. There is
just enough space and tree buffers between our property, and route 301. The traffic on
Red Lion road is minimal, and harboring much less tractor trailers and bigger vehicles.
Also, our property is far enough from any train tracks, so that would not be an issue.

The no-build alternative would not change the noise levels in any way. It would
remain a quiet campground community.

The proposed Smart Growth preferred community is expected to generate a very

low amount of noise. There will be a quiet residential community with a small
commercial area and school on premises. The book store, bike rental shop and coffee
shop will not be open during late hours therefore will not disturb the residential area.
The Satellite school will only be open during the day so there will be no concern for
noise nuisances. There will also be a package wastewater plant on the property. Due to
the location of the plant being far away from the rest of the developments and divided by
an area of forest, any small amount of noise generated will not have any impact of the
rest of the community.

The traditional development alternative would have low noise levels. This type of
community would have less residents

3.4 Natural Environment

3.4.1 Groundwater

The no-build alternative would not have significant impact on the groundwater of
the site. There is one road that loops around the campground and 68 paved campsites
that create impervious surfaces. The area on site that is frequently flooded is not paved
therefore flooding, infiltration and groundwater do not face any issues with the no-build
alternative.

The plan to create a Smart Growth community incorporates a stormwater

management plan. The intended stormwater management plan has stormwater Best
Management Practices or (BMPs) that allow the water to infiltrate back into the soil. The
soil then has natural elements that help filter and clean the pollutants that would
potentially be picked up due to runoff. These intended designs will acts in such a way
that will positively affect the site and convey the stormwater to create a 100% infiltration
rate for 1 year storm resource events (Rv). These designs will also decrease the
potential for groundwater contamination.

Traditional development would require a much more extensive stormwater

management plan. There would be more impervious surfaces from roofs, roads,
driveways etc. More impervious surfaces for runoff to flow over before reaching soil
creates more opportunities for said runoff to pick up contaminants. There is a higher risk
for groundwater contamination than the other two alternatives.

3.4.2 Soils

The soil on site is mostly greenwich loam. Portions of the site are also Ingleside
sandy loam and Longmarsh and Indiantown soils. (See the following figures).

Figure 3.4.2a USDA Web Soil Survey Map

 Figure 3.4.2b USDA Web Soil Survey Map Unit Legend

For the no-build alternative, the soil and environment would not be changed or
affected in any way.

For the preferred alternative Smart Growth community construction will be

avoided on the existing Longmarsh and Indiantown soils due to their high potential for
flooding. However, the proposed wastewater treatment plant will be placed on these
soils replacing the current wastewater treatment facility on site. The Ingleside Sandy
Loam and Greenwich Loam soils have no building limitations and are where all
residential and commercial development will take place. Stormwater best management
practices will be implemented in all areas of the site to help aid in the conveyance and
infiltration from rain events. There will also be numerous areas in between all
developments to be left as Green Space.

For the traditional development alternative, construction would take over all the
buildable soil on the site. This type of community would require much more impervious
surfaces causing an increase in runoff that would be difficult to manage. This could
potentially result in flooding on site.

3.4.3 Surface Waters and Water Quality

The surface water on site is the pond which located on the northern part of our
property. The C&D canal is off-site, but it is located to the south of our property across
the highway.

The No-Build alternative would not result in impacts to surface water and water
quality.

The Smart Growth preferred alternative would affect surface water from a small
increase in stormwater runoff, but with minimal impact due to the stormwater
management plan. We will be taking advantage of Stormwater Best Management
Practices (BMPs) such as bioswales, infiltration basins and underground detention
basins to help mitigate the amount of runoff. (To view the proposed Stormwater
Management Plan for this project reference section 3.4.4 in the appendix). Due to the
consolidation of building space, there will be less impervious surface which will in turn
lessen the amount of runoff. Since there are already roads in place, there will not be
much additional runoff in terms of this parameter. Keeping multiple open green spaces
throughout the community will help with infiltration of surface water runoff. The water
quality will not be affected for this alternative.
 The traditional development alternative will increase the amount of impervious
area on site through less open space and more roads and driveways. This will cause an
increase in sediments and pollution in the runoff and in nearby streams and tributaries.
A quote from the Sierra Clubs The Costs of Sprawl in Delaware Report from 2000
states, A one-acre parking lot generates 16 times more polluted runoff than a meadow,
washing toxic chemicals and hydrocarbon pollutants into our streams, lakes, and coastal
areas. A traditional development would turn a significant portion of the 89 acres on site
into impervious pavement and roofing, causing a large increase of polluted runoff. A
traditional development would significantly impact surface water and water quality on site
and in streams and areas around in.

3.4.4 Floodplains

The Lums Pond State Park Campground property does not currently exist within
a floodplain. For reference, please see the following figures 3.4.4a-c. The soil on site is
mostly greenwich loam which is not a frequently flooded soil. Portions of the site are
also Ingleside sandy loam and Longmarsh and Indiantown soils which are flood prone
soils as shown in the following figure 3.4.4d.

Figure 3.4.4a FEMA Flood Map Service GIS Interactive Map

Figure 3.4.4b FEMA FIRM Map No. 10003C0236K (Portion of site is outlined in red)
Figure 3.4.4c FEMA FIRM Map No. 10003C0237K (Portion of site is outlined in red)

Figure 3.4.4d USDA Web Soil Survey Flood Map

(Blue indicates areas that are frequently flooded,
red indicates areas that are not frequently flooded.)
 The No-build alternative would not result in floodplain impacts.

The Smart Growth preferred alternative would not result in any adverse impact to
the site or the environment since the site is in a zone that is not within a floodplain.
However, to handle increased stormwater runoff volume from the one-year resource
protection event (RPv) and reduce the total volume required for storage for the ten-year
conveyance event (Cv) and the one hundred-year flooding event (Fv) a feasible
stormwater management plan has been created for the proposed Smart Growth
community project. Bioswales, infiltration basins, and an underground detention basin
will be implemented in this project. The BMPs were sized to handle the RPv and the
storage was sized to handle the total predicted volume of the Cv and Fv. To see the
entire Stormwater Management Report for the Lums Pond Campground Site please
reference Section 3.4.4 in the Appendix.

For the traditional development alternative, there would be a need for an

extensive stormwater management plan to handle extra runoff in flooding events due to
a high amount of impervious surfaces created by the many roads, driveways and roofs in
this type of community. This type of development would need many more stormwater
facilities and BMPs compared to a Smart Growth community, resulting in higher costs.

3.4.5 Wetlands

Only a small amount of Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetlands are found along

the Northeast border of the site as shown in the following figure.
 Figure 3.4.5 National Wetlands Inventory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service November 2016
(Site is outlined in red. Only a small amount of Freshwater Forested/
Shrub Wetlands are found along the Northeast border of the site.)

The No-build alternative would not result in impacts to wetlands on our site.

Similarly, the Smart Growth Community would not affect the wetlands in any way,
being that our proposed development is in an area not characterized as wetlands.

The traditional development alternative will have little to no effect on the wetlands
which would also not be constructed in the wetlands.

Please reference Figure 3.4.5 in the appendix to see more clearly that the
wetlands on site are only around the border and would not be affected by any alternative
of development.

3.4.6 Vegetation and Wildlife

The habitats found on site include agriculture, North Atlantic Coastal Plain
Hardwood Forest, North Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest,
Laurentian-Acadian Freshwater Marsh, Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood
Forest and developed. None of these habitats are classified as a conservation concern
according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Controls Delaware Wildlife Habitat Classification.
 The forests are typically dominated by many types of oak trees and sometimes
pine trees. Sassafras, black gum, red maple, swamp blackgum, sweetgum, green ash,
virginia pine and loblolly pines can also be found frequently in the canopy of these
forests.These forests are home to many species including plain-bellied watersnake,
spotted turtle, four-toed salamander, and hooded and Swainson's warblers, among
many others.
In the marshes typical plants include cattails, marsh fern, touch-me-not,
pondweeds, water lilies, pickerelweed, and rushes. King rail, least bittern, marsh wren,
Northern pintail, herons, waterfowl, and many other species inhabit these marshes.
The current conditions all of the habitats found on site range from average to
good except developed. This means that there is a healthy amount of vegetation found
on these habitats and the natural environment is thriving. The developed habitat on site
is the only habitat rated less than average because it has very little vegetation including
a few shrubs and grass due to the construction of roads and bathhouses in this area.

There are also species of greatest conservation associated with the site.
Specifically, the Delmarva Fox squirrel and the Frosted Elfin are of greatest conservation
need within the area. The Delmarva Fox Squirrel is of great conservation need due to
residential and commercial development, housing and urban development, as well as
residential development causing forest habitat conversion. The Frosted Elfin is of great
concern due to resource management needs, resource information collection needs and
a lack of recent monitoring of element occurrences.

The No-build alternative would not result in any impact to the vegetation and
wildlife on the site. The area would stay the same, as a campground, and vegetation
and wildlife would not be disturbed in any way.

The preferred Smart Growth alternative will only be building in areas that are
already cleared and do not impact any vegetation. Due to the many open spaces and
connected trails incorporated into the Smart Growth design wildlife will be able to travel
through to Lums Pond State Park and the surrounding forests. Vegetation will be
protected around the site by implementing the open spaces and will not be impacted in
any way.

The traditional development alternative would have to clear more forest to have a
larger area for development. Residential units would be built close to each other, leaving
little to no open space for wildlife to roam through the community from Lums Pond State
Park. Vegetation and wildlife would be negatively impacted as a result of a traditional
development being built on this site.

3.4.7 Climate Change

 Everyday there is a growing amount of climate change due to the increase in
transportation, industry, electricity & heat, land use change, agriculture, and waste. A
more descriptive break-up of these different contributers can be illustrated below, from
figure 3.4.7.

Figure 3.4.7 World Resource Institute World Greenhouse Gas Emissions Flow Chart

For the United States, during the period from 1990 to 2014: emissions of carbon
dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities, increased by 9
percent. Methane emissions decreased by 6 percent, as reduced emissions from
landfills, coal mines, and natural gas systems more than offset increases in emissions
from activities such as livestock production. Nitrous oxide emissions, predominantly from
agricultural soil management practices such as the use of nitrogen as a fertilizer,
decreased by 1 percent. Emissions of fluorinated gases (hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride), released as a result of
commercial, industrial, and household uses, increased by 77 percent. (EPA, 2016)

The No-build alternative would result in no impact on climate change.

 The preferred Smart Growth alternative will result in minor impacts to climate
change. Although the total direct and indirect emissions associated with the project will
contribute to global greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions, mobile emissions are the largest
contributors to greenhouse gases. According to Reducing Delawares Transportation
Energy Use Work Group 2009 Report Smart Growth community policies can help
reduce VMT (vehicle miles traveled) anywhere from 1.5-5.3% depending on how
aggressive the policy is. The proposed Smart Growth community will help reduce VMT
due to residents having shorter commutes and because of the commercial aspects
keeping residents close to home rather than driving somewhere.

The traditional development alternative will result in the most impact to the
change in climate. This alternative would greatly increase the amount of (GHG)
emissions due to the tendencies for these type of communiies to be designed further
away from commercial properties, resulting in residents havintg to travel far and often for
work, recreation and basic necessities like grocery shopping. This will increase the
average VMT for the area, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. This alternative will
not normally incorporate green infrastructure, thereby adding to the overall greenhouse
gas emissions in the atmosphere.

3.4.8 Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise will not be an issue for the site because it is far enough from any
tidal water bodies. According to the Sea Level Rise Inundation map from Delaware First
Map, even a sea level rise of 1.5 meters will have no impact on the site (See the
following Figure 3.4.8). Sea level rise will not be an environmental issue for the no-build
alternative, the preferred Smart Growth community alternative or the traditional
development alternative.

Figure 3.4.8 Delaware First Map Sea Level Rise Inundation Map
3.4.9 Air Quality

According to DNRECs Division of Air Quality 2015 Report, Delaware air quality
met all the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (See Figure 3.4.9a). Ozone
concentrations continue to show a generally decreasing trend in New Castle County.
Also, in the last ten years, trends in ambient concentrations of the criteria pollutants have
either been level or declining. From 1999 through 2015 the number of days with
unhealthy air quality has been overall declining in recent years as shown in the following
chart (Figure 3.4.9b). The 2015 Report also states that the U.S. EPA estimates that
approximately 60% of all CO emissions are from motor vehicle exhaust. Other sources
are incinerators, wood stoves, furnaces and some industrial processes. Carbon
Monoxide Trends in Delaware can be shown in the following figure (3.4.9c).

Figure 3.4.9a DNREC Division of Air Quality 2015 Reports Maximum Pollutant Levels
Figure 3.4.9b DNREC Division of Air Quality 2015 Reports Air Quality Index for New Castle County
 Figure 3.4.9c DNREC Division of Air Quality 2015 Reports Carbon Monoxide Trends in Delaware

The no-build alternative would not create any additional impact on the air quality
of the area. The site is a campground and DNREC is currently investigating cases on
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the burn pits and fire rings through soil sampling
tests and air quality monitoring tests, but no action has been necessary yet and there
has not been an issue with contamination at the Lums Pond site.

The preferred Smart Growth community alternative will bring in less traffic than a
traditional development resulting in less VMTs and less emissions. The open green
space will also provide area for more vegetation that will help filter the air and improve
the quality.

The traditional development alternative would bring in more cars to the site,
generating additional traffic to and from the community, resulting in an increase of VMT
in the area. This will create an increase in CO emissions from motor vehicle exhaust,
impacting the air quality in the area.

5 Chapter 5 List of Preparers

Capstone Consulting 2017 is responsible for preparing this Final Environmental

Impact Statement for the proposed Smart Growth community. The members of the
Environmental Department of Capstone Consulting 2017 are Dana Tomczak, George
Strosnider and Jacob Capadanno.

6 Chapter 6 List of Agencies

This Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be made available for
comment to any federal, state or local agency that has jurisdiction by law in regards to
any environmental impact involved, as well as any agency authorized to enforce
environmental standards. This DEIS will also be made available for all Capstone
Consulting 2017 staff members including Amy Mann, Steve Cannon and Kym Kelly. The
client of the proposed project, Dr. Heidi Gurdo M.Arch, will also have availability to this
document.

7 Chapter 7 Appendix

3.4.4 Floodplains

3.4.4.1 Stormwater Management Report for Lums Pond Campground Site

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L8Bi0VVYg96zX4lVOvPYBXKpMyyMkCWgTEfSgUfl8NI/
edit
8 Chapter 8 References

Climate Change Indicators in the United States. (2016, December 19). Retrieved April
06, 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

Sea Level Rise Inundation Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/pages/slrmaps.aspx

World Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2005. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from
http://www.wri.org/publication/world-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2005

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Wetlands Inventory; National Standards and
Support Team. (n.d.). National Wetlands Inventory. Retrieved April 06, 2017, from
https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/

FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Search By Address. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017,
from https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search?AddressQuery=1068 howell school
road#searchresultsanchor

The Costs of Sprawl in Delaware. Sierra Club 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2017, from
https://blackboard.dtcc.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-7023116-dt-content-rid-
21695265_1/courses/20175227953/20175227953_ImportedContent_20161214085242/The
%20Costs%20of%20Sprawl%20in%20Delaware%202000.pdf

Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from
https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance-rate-map-firm

Web Soil Survey. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx

The Conservation Gateway, The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.) Retrieved April 06, 2017
from
https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/ed
c/reportsdata/terrestrial/habitatmap/Pages/default.aspx

Environmental Resources Management, Inc. , Gaadt Perspectives, LLC, Kramer and

Associates, & Delaware Office of State Coordination. (2008, March). Guidelines for Counties
and Municipalities to Protect Ecological Features of State Resource Areas . Retrieved April 6,
2017, from http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/landuse/Documents/State%20Resource
%20Areas/SRA%20Ecological%20Guidelines.pdf
 Reducing Delawares Transportation Energy Use Work Group Report. (January 21,
2009). Retrieved April 11, 2017, from
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/Documents/Reducing%20Transportation%20Energy
%20Use%20Work%20Group%20-%20Final%20Report%20-%20rev%201-21-09.pdf

DNREC Division of Air Quality 2015 Report retrieved April 11, 2017 from,
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Air/Documents/Ann%20Rpt%2015%20final.pdf