Citizen Action

McIntosh - Palmetto Telford, LLC - Cathead Landing Subdivision - Community Marina - Written Comments Due By 11/6/06

Public Notice
October 6, 2006
Palmetto Telford, LLC
Community Marina
Cathead Landing Subdivision
Cathead Creek, McIntosh County

Project Application
Project Checklist
Project Description
Project Drawing

This serves as notification from the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Ecological Services Section of a request from Palmetto Telford, LLC for a Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) Permit under O.C.G.A. 12-5-280 et. seq. to construct a community marina at the Cathead Landing subdivision on Cathead Creek in the City of Darien, McIntosh County. After construction, the applicant advises that the homeowners association would operate the community marina.

The proposed community marina is designed to provide mooring space for an estimated 40 private recreational boats for the 45 residential units. The proposed community marina will consist of a 6' x 81' fixed walkway. Approximately 41 linear feet of the fixed walkway will be located over the upland area. The remaining 40 linear feet will be over coastal marshlands. The walkway will access a 20' x 20' fixed covered deck with a maximum roof height of 12' above the deck. From this, a 4' x 25' gangway will extend channelward to an 8' x 12' landing located along a 6' x 386' pile-supported, main float, which will extend parallel to the shoreline. Extending channelward from the main float will be four, pile-supported lateral floats, each 6' x 60' in length. Each lateral float will have four pile-supported finger floats 6' x 25' long and oriented parallel to the shoreline. The structure will provide approximately 1,680 linear feet of mooring space. Therefore a waterbottoms lease has been requested by the applicant.

The pilings for the dock will be at a minimum marine grade CCA 2.5 or concrete. The decking and framing of the floating docks will be constructed of marine grade timber at a minimum. The floats will be marine grade PVC or better. The marina structure will extend 100' into the waterway beyond Mean Low Water (MLW) at a point where Cathead Creek is 323' from MLW to MLW. As proposed the facility will impact approximately 7,014 sq. ft. (0.16acres) of coastal marshlands of which 36 sq. ft. is over vegetated marsh.

Electric and water supply will be extended over water to the structure. The homeowners association will be responsible for monthly maintenance of marina facilities hoses, faucets, or any apparatus or equipment capable of producing a stream of fresh water in close proximity to the access facility. A Dock Operations plan will be developed that includes safety and spill procedures and will be made available to the Department for review prior to operation of the marina. No fish cleaning station will be proposed on the marina structure.

There are two existing dock structures located at the site that will be removed. One is a fixed 472 sq. ft. fixed deck near the southeast corner of the site. The second is a serviceable dock located approximately 50' to the north of the fixed deck. It consists of a 6' 9" walkway leading to a 13' x 13' fixed deck, a 3' x 25' gangway and 36' x 8' pile-supported float. The combined impact to coastal marshlands of these two structures is approximately 1428 sq.ft., of which 68 sq. ft. is over vegetated marshland. Both docks will be removed and the pilings sawed off near the river floor so as not to disturb the river bottom.

The proposed facility will be for private recreational use only. It is anticipated that residents will launch their boats at access points away from Cathead Landing and then moor their boats at the proposed community marina on a first-come, first-serve basis. Therefore there is no trailer parking proposed at the marina facility. It is expected that some residents will leave their boats moored at the marina full-time. The amenities parcel servicing the community marina consists of a clubhouse and community pool facility. There will be limited vehicle parking at the clubhouse. The parking areas will be of a pervious material except for the handicapped spaces which will be paved. There are no fueling facilities or fish-cleaning stations proposed for the marina facility.

The development associated with the proposed facility is a 45-lot single-family residential subdivision. The subdivision will be serviced by a sanitary sewer system and potable water system to be owned by the City of Darien. Cathead Landing subdivision consists of a total of 7.75 acres (6.19 acres of upland and 1.56 acres of wetlands). Of the 6.19 acres of upland area, 1.78 acres (29%) will be impervious at build-out. Total impervious area for the entire site (7.75 acres) at build-out will be approximately 23%. As a way of minimizing impervious areas, the applicant has designed the site with roadways made of shell. The shell roadways will enable a portion of the stormwater to be absorbed into the ground thereby cutting down on the amount of runoff from the development. A stormwater drainage system will be installed to collect the runoff. All roof drainage from the structures and all of the stormwater from the improvements to the lots will drain toward the streets where it will be collected in the stormwater drainage system. The drainage system will discharge to a water quality detention pond or sediment basin. The sediment basin will be installed during the construction phase to give the silt and sediments in the stormwater ample time to settle prior to discharging into the waterway. This sediment basin will be a wet detention pond and will remain as a permanent amenity. It will have a volume of 11,480 cubic feet below the top of the outlet control structure. Maintenance of the sediment basin, the stormwater drainage system, and the outfall control structure will be the responsibility of the homeowners association (HOA) and is outlined in the document titled Maintenance Schedule for Storm Water System, Sediment Basin, and Outlet Control Structure.

Long-term management provisions of the 25' wide buffer adjacent to the DNR Jurisdictional Marshline are included in the homeowners association by-laws, rules and covenants for the upkeep and protection and will follow the brochure Riparian Buffers in Your Backyard for Chatham County and the Georgia Coast published by the GA-DNR Coastal Management Program. These provisions include but are not limited to: no mowing, clearing, or use of fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides within the buffer areas.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the project is not contrary to the public interest and that no feasible alternative sites exist. Impacts to coastal marshlands must be minimal in size. In passing upon the application for permit, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee shall consider the public interest:

(1) Whether or not unreasonably harmful obstruction to or alteration of the
natural flow of navigational water within the affected area will arise as a
result of the proposal;
(2) Whether or not unreasonably harmful or increased erosion, shoaling of
channels, or stagnant areas of water will be created; and
(3) Whether or not the granting of a permit and the completion of the
applicants proposal will unreasonably interfere with the conservation of
fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, clams, or other marine life, wildlife, or other
resources, including but not limited to water and oxygen supply.

A detailed public notice with drawings has been distributed and is available by visiting the Divisions website: http://crd.dnr.state.ga.us/ under Permits and Public Notices or by calling John Wynne at (912) 262-3134.

Please provide this office with substantive, site-specific comments as to why the proposed work should or should not proceed. Comments and questions concerning this proposed project should be submitted in writing and be postmarked by November 6, 2006 to John Wynne, Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, Georgia 31520.