Miles Lane Restoration

Watsonville, CA

Project Specifications

Client: Mid-Peninsula Housing

Project Description

Biological Assessment, Wetland Delineation

MidPeninsula Housing Corporation (MidPen) and Encompass Community Services (Encompass) jointly submitted an application to develop four parcels located in Watsonville, CA. The proposed project includes a residential substance use disorder treatment facility and an outpatient rehabilitation facility owned by Encompass, and an affordable housing development owned by MidPen. The affordable housing development would provide housing for low, very low, and extremely low-income households.

ECI provided initial consultation concerning the presence of two wetlands on the site. This led to the development of a full Biological Assessment by ECI that analyzed potential impacts to sensitive biological resources on the site. The result of this analysis indicated that unavoidable impacts would occur to wetlands on the site. In order to quantify those impacts, ECI performed a formal wetland delineation in accordance with Army Corps of Engineers standards. The project was then subjected to a rigorous peer review, where ECI assisted the client by reviewing and commenting on the proposed mitigation measures for the project. With ECI’s assistance, several measures that would have been difficult to achieve were modified or removed by the City. ECI anticipates that once the project has attained its entitlement, additional permitting and a Habitat Restoration Plan will be required for the project.