NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-1 5 Chapter 5: Natural Resources and Environment BACKGROUND AND INTENT Urban expansion represents the greatest risk for the future degradation of existing natural areas, and their functions and processes, as they relate to the health of the natural systems of the Planning Area. There is an important interrelationship and link between the community and its associate natural environment. A well-functioning natural environment has economic, social and health benefits for those living and working in Manhattan. In this chapter emphasis is placed on defining those natural features and functions, together with the parks, open space and trails system, that create a green space framework within which growth and development may be permitted to take place. The core of this green infrastructure framework will consist of the most sensitive environmental areas as identified on the Environmental Values and Constraints Map. These include wetlands, critical wildlife habitats of threatened and endangered species, riparian corridors, native woodlands, and steep slopes. The tall grass prairie, the defining natural feature of the areas surrounding Manhattan, may also be incorporated into an open space framework. These areas contain concentrations of natural forms, features and functions and are considered worthy of the highest level of protection. Affective protection of the natural areas require that they be buffered from higher intensity land uses and linked, where appropriate and possible, into a network of major habitat types and corridors. These corridors are not only important to creating uninterrupted systems for maximum biodiversity, but also contribute to the establishment of a network of green infrastructure that visually and functionally links the various neighborhoods. The linkages may or may not incorporate community parks, open space and trail systems, depending on the environmental sensitivity of the site. Identified natural hazards, which pose a threat to human life, and risk of damage to property, can also serve to support and expand the green infrastructure network. This Chapter should be used in conjunction with the applicable policy documents identified at the end of the Chapter, when making decisions.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-2 GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES Goal #1: Preserve environmentally sensitive areas from development. Guiding Principle: Identify and conserve environmentally sensitive areas, including wetlands, key wildlife habitats, steep slopes, and riparian areas. Goal #2: Encourage the incorporation of open space corridors, buffers, and linkages into new development. Guiding Principles: Create opportunities for the establishment of buffers between urban development and environmentally sensitive areas to reduce negative impacts upon natural habitat, protect water quality and reduce storm water runoff. Facilitate the creation of a system of open space corridors, providing linkage between non-contiguous parks and environmentally sensitive areas. Goal #3: Promote environmentally sensitive design. Guiding Principle: Provide incentives for developers who incorporate environmentally sensitive design. POLICIES NRE 1: Corridors, Buffers, and Linkages and Preserved Open Space The City and County should use a variety of methods (both public and private) to facilitate the creation of a continuous, permanent, system of open space corridors using natural features such as preserved open space areas, drainages, streams, and rivers to the extent possible. Corridors should be identified during the subdivision or master planning process and should be used to provide linkages within and between non-contiguous parks, environmentally sensitive and preserved open space areas, as well as neighborhoods and other development areas. Buffers can also be used to provide a transition between different intensities of uses. The current width and shape and other features of a naturally occurring corridor (such as a drainageway) should be preserved, in order to maintain its environmental integrity and avoid creating an engineered appearance. NRE 2: Parks and Recreation The City and County should ensure that park and recreation facilities provide an adequate range of recreational opportunities. Facilities shall be designed in a manner that responds to the needs of the intended users. More specific policies and design guidelines are provided in the previously developed Comprehensive Parks Master Plan, Linear Park Master Plan - Phase II, Strategic Park Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, and the Fairmont Park Master Plan
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-3 5 NRE 3: Trails Network The City and County shall use a variety of methods to develop a system of open space that is connected, continuous, and permanent. The Linear Trail, which currently follows parts of Wildcat Creek, and the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, represents the beginnings of a network of trails and open space that will link various areas of the City. Tributary drainage channels and other potential pedestrian corridors should also be incorporated as part of the overall network as they become integrated into residential areas. NRE 4: Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Wildlife Habitat and Corridors, Wetlands, Riparian Areas and Prairie Ecosystems The Urban Area is home to a variety of environmentally sensitive areas, including: Wildcat Creek, the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, numerous secondary stream corridors, drainage areas, and wetlands, as well as prairie ecosystems. In addition to their scenic quality, these areas provide other benefits, such as water quality enhancement and flood control, potential ecotourism, and also serve as important wildlife habitat. shall work to ensure that development impacts upon these areas are minimized. NRE 5: Environmentally Sensitive Site Design The City and County The City and County shall ensure that environmentally sensitive site design practices are used in new development. Sensitive site design practices can minimize unnecessary physical and visual impacts upon the surrounding landscape, caused by excessive removal of existing vegetation or severe roadway cuts, and excessive grading of natural topography. NRE 6: Natural Hazards Development shall be prohibited in areas where natural hazards have been identified which have the potential to endanger life, resources, and property. Within the Manhattan Urban Area, these hazards include steep slopes (20% or greater slope), floodways, and other special flood hazard areas. ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AND CONSTRAINTS MAP The Environmental Values and Constraints map identifies the location and extent of the Manhattan Urban Area s many natural features and the relationships between them. Identifiable and well-documented constraints, such as the floodway, areas inundated by the 1993 flood, environmentally sensitive areas, and wetlands were integrated into the Future Land Use Map to help guide future land uses in these areas. The Environmental Values and Constraints Map should be used during planning and development review processes to identify and prevent potential conflicts and to identify areas where more detailed environmental studies may be warranted prior to development approval. (Also see Appendix B: Land Demand/Capability Analysis, Environmental Values and Constraints).
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-4 INSERT ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AND CONSTRAINTS MAP
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-5 5 RELATED PLANS AND POLICY DOCUMENTS The following previously developed plans were not formally adopted as a part of the Comprehensive Plan; however they provide important background information, policy direction and design guidelines with regard to Park and Recreation issues. Strategic Park Plan (1999) This intent of this plan is to provide implementation strategies for the recommendations of the 1992 Comprehensive Park Master Plan. The process included a significant public participation process to verify and update needs and priorities. From that process, goals and strategies were developed for a 15-year period, including guidelines for establishment of a Parks and Recreation Foundation and strategies for the acquisition and development of future park and recreation facilities. Among the priorities identified were the implementation of the Linear Park Master Plan recommendations, the addition of Fairmount and Northeast Community Parks, and the general locations of additional park sites and sizes for future acquisition. Linear Park Master Plan, Phase II (1998) The purpose of this plan was to provide routing recommendations and design guidance for the development of Phase II of the Linear Park trail system across the northern portions of the community, with linkages to school sites, commercial areas, and places of special interest in and around the city. In addition to the primary route, the plan calls for several secondary neighborhood loops. Each segment was designed so that its route incorporates significant views and landscapes of the area. The secondary loops include: an extension from the Blue River Area to Tuttle Creek, a route along the Blue River through the Northview area, segments through the Seth Child Road and Anthony Middle School area, segments from the Top of the World north to Tuttle Creek Reservoir, and segments through Colbert Hills and within the residential area east of Scenic Drive. To support the proposed routes, the plan also provides a right-of-way acquisition plan and cost estimates for each trail segment. Bicycle Master Plan K.S.U. and City of Manhattan This master plan, completed in 1998, developed jointly by K-State and the City of Manhattan, provides policy and design guidance for provision of bicycle facilities and infrastructure modifications, to accommodate and promote bicycle transportation and recreation in the community, both in existing areas and as a component of new development. The plan includes goals, recommended improvements, route maps, funding options and implementation guidance. Comprehensive Parks Master Plan (1992) The Plan was developed as a ten-year guide for the development of parks, recreational facilities, and open space for Manhattan. The plan s Priority Elements included: possible locations of future Neighborhood and Community Level Parks, responding to growth and deficiencies in the current system, recommended an increase in the number and usability of Manhattan s Green Space and Natural Area parks, the expansion of the pedestrian and bicycle trail system as a means of alternative transportation,
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT 5-6 and the development of an Indoor Recreation Facility. In addition, the Plan recommended Plan Support Activities to include parkway development and city entryways and street tree planting and boulevard development. Fairmont Park Master Plan (1997) The County and City, following extensive flooding in 1993 at the northeast intersection of K-177 and the Kansas River, developed this Master Plan. In conjunction with FEMA, Riley County purchased approximately 63 acres of the former residential land for open space purposes and combined their parcel with an additional 40 acres owned by the City. Working within stipulations of the FEMA buy-out and lease proposal, passive park uses (picnicking, walking, informal play spaces, etc ) and the preservation/conservation of the parks natural resources were identified as appropriate uses.