HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 01 25 Glossary of TermsWINTER SPRINGS OPEN SPACE ADVISORY STUDY COMMITTEE
JANUARY 25, 2007
THE ATTACHED WAS A HANDOUT GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM MS. ELOISE SAHLSTROM, SENIOR PLANNER, COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS
OPEN SPACE ADVISORY STUDY COMMITTEE
GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY USED TERMS
(subject to additions)
Conservation corridor - A landscape feature that is long and relatively narrow
that connects two or more patches of more intensely developed property.
Roads, streambanks, hedgerows, and ribbons of natural habitat are all examples
of corridors.
Conservation easement - A legally binding agreement between a landowner
and an easement holder that restricts the types of land uses or activities that can
occur on the landowner's property. Conservation easements are often used to
prohibitor restrict development on a piece of property to protect conservation
values or maintain such land uses as forestry, agriculture, and natural habitat.
Conservation future land use designation -The conservation designation
includes public lands that have been acquired and private land areas that have
been reserved by mutual agreement with the property owner for the preservation
and protection of Winter Springs' natural resources.
Conservation overlay -The conservation overlay area shown on the Future
Land Use Map (PLUM) is intended to protect areas that may potentially contain
protected wildlife habitat areas, hydric soils/wetlands, and special vegetative
communities. Included within the conservation overlay definition are areas within
a public water well radius of 500 feet, within the 100-year floodplain, and other
areas subject to environmental or topographic constraints. The area designated
as conservation overlay on the PLUM is not intended to prevent development,
but rather identify sensitive areas that need to be reviewed carefully during the
review process to determine whether development should be permitted or if
some form of mitigation may be necessary.
Conservation subdivision - A subdivision that sets aside a significant portion of
the development site as permanently protected open space. This is usually
accomplished by clustering houses on smaller lots, ideally on the least
environmentally sensitive lands.
Critical habitat -The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the federal
government to designate "critical habitat" for any species it lists under the ESA.
"Critical habitat" is defined as: (1) specific areas within the geographical area
occupied by the species at the time of listing, if they contain physical or biological
features essential to conservation, and those features may require special
management considerations or protection; and (2) specific areas outside the
geographical area occupied by the species if the agency determines that the
area itself is essential for conservation.
Critical habitat designations must be based on the best scientific information
available, in an open public process, within specific timeframes. Before
designating critical habitat, careful consideration must be given to the economic
impacts, impacts on national security, and other relevant impacts of specifying
any particular area as critical habitat.
Detention -Short-term storage of stormwater. Detention storage holds
collected stormwater from a given rainfall event and releases it at a controlled
rate to reduce the impact on downstream stormwater systems. Storage facilities
can be either constructed above ground as a pond or placed below ground as a
vault.
Discharge area -Usually swampy areas where stormwater runoff is discharged
for the purpose of partial water quality treatment/detention before it reaches the
final receiving water body.
Dominant species -Species that are important in their ecological communities
because of the large number of individuals they represent.
Drainage Easement - A legally binding agreement between a landowner and an
easement holder that restricts the types of land uses or activities that can occur
on the landowner's property for the purpose of collecting, transmitting, and
directing water away from habitable structures in order to further the health,
safety, and welfare of the public at large.
Ecological health - A criterion for land use that requires that human activities on
a site (1) avoid irreversible or long-lasting degradation to the land (such as soil
loss or toxic contamination) and (2) prevent negative off-site impacts, such as
pollution or habitat fragmentation.
Ecosystem - A group of living organisms plus their nonliving environment
including soil, water, nutrients, and climate. Forests, grasslands, wetlands,
uplands, and lakes are all examples of ecosystems.
Edge habitat -Habitat situated at the boundary between two land cover types
(e.g., farmland and forest) and extending a few tens to hundreds of feet from this
boundary. Edge habitat is often abundant in human-influenced landscapes
where natural habitats abut urban, suburban, or agricultural land uses.
Endangered species - An endangered species is a population of an organism
(usually a taxonomic species), which because it is either (a) few in number or (b)
threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters, is at risk of
becoming extinct.
Endemic species -Species that are found only in a restricted geographic area.
A species (or genus or family) may be endemic to a very small region, such as
an island, or to an entire continent or hemisphere.
Exotic species - A species that is not native to the place it inhabits. Also known
as an introduced species or anon-native species. Exotic species become a
problem when they become prolific. (see invasive species).
Greenprint - A map created at the sub-landscape scale (the scale of cities or
towns) that identifies lands important for conservation, such as wetlands, steep
slopes, rare species habitat, and rare ecological communities. The greenprint
can be used to direct new growth away from these sensitive lands so that an
interconnected conservation network takes shape within the matrix of developed
lands.
Flood plain - An area inundated during a 100-year flood event or identified by
the national Flood Insurance Program as an area of flooding on Flood Insurance
Rate Maps or Flood Hazard Boundary Maps.
Floodway - A channel for an overFlow of water caused by flooding.
Flood Zone -Flood zones are geographic areas that the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has defined according to varying levels of flood
risk. These zones are depicted on a community's Flood Hazard Boundary Map
or a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Each zone reflects the severity or type
of flooding in the area. There are 100-year flood plain areas located in Winter
Springs. These areas are predominantly limited to shorelines adjacent to Lake
Jesup, Little Lake Howell, Lake Talmo, and the riverine flood plains of Soldier's
Creek, Gee Creek, Bear Creek, and Lake Howell.
Fragmentation -The devaluing of a habitat by dividing it into smaller,
disconnected pieces.
Habitat management -Retaining, creating, or managing wetland or upland
habitat for wildlife.
High water mark - A mark indicating the highest level reached by a body of
water.
Hydric - A habitat with an excessive supply of moisture. Hydric soils are usually
known locally as "muck".
Impervious -Land surfaces which do not allow (or minimally allow) the
penetration of water. An increase in the amount of impervious area will increase
the rate and volume of runoff from a given drainage basin.
Interior habitat -Natural habitat that is situated away from human land uses
such as urban development or agriculture.
Invasive species -Exotic (non-native) species that spread rapidly, out-
competing native species and sometimes altering entire ecosystems.
Land banking -involves the acquisition of land in advance of expanding
urbanization. The price of an open space parcel not yet subject to urban
development pressures will probably be more closely based on current rather
than speculative land uses. Land banking may therefore result in considerable
savings to a jurisdiction seeking to preserve open space.
Littoral zone -refers to the coast or to the banks of a river, lake or estuary. The
littoral zone is defined as the area between the high water and low water marks.
Low water mark - A mark indicating the lowest level reached by a body of
water.
Mesic - A habitat with a moderate orwell-balanced supply of moisture.
Mitigation -Compensation for impacts to wetlands and streams. A regulatory
method of offsetting impacts to wetlands and other aquatic resources.
Mitigation bank - A mitigation bank is a wetland, stream, or other aquatic
resource area that has been restored, established, enhanced, or (in certain
circumstances) preserved for the purpose of providing compensation for
unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources permitted under state or local wetland
regulation.
Nonpoint source pollution -Pollution that originates from diffuse sources
across the landscape rather than from a specific point source. Examples of
nonpoint source pollution include sediment, petroleum, excess nutrients, and
chemical pollutants from farms, roads, lawns, and septic systems.
Perched water table - A perched water table (or perched aquifer) is an aquifer
that occurs above the main water table. This occurs when there is an
impermeable layer of rock above the main aquifer but below the surface. Water
percolating down to the main aquifer gets trapped above this second
impermeable rock layer. If a perched aquifer's flow intersects the Earth's surface,
at a valley wall for example, the water is discharged as a spring.
Percolation -Percolation concerns the movement and filtering of fluids through
porous materials such as soils or permeable rock.
Pervious -Land surfaces which allow the penetration of water. A decrease in
pervious area will increase the rate and volume of runoff from a given basin.
Purchase of development rights -Aland conservation technique in which a
government body or private conservation organization pays a landowner not to
develop his or her property.
Recharge area - An area of land where the aquifer receives surface water
through percolation.
Recreation and Open Space land use -The purpose of this land use element
is to identify open space and recreation facilities, establish level of service
standards for the provision of such facilities, and analyze current and projected
park and recreational needs based upon population projections and the
established level of service standards.
Resource protection - A general designation for lands which include natural
vegetation that is protected through drainage easements or conservation
easements.
Retention -Permanent storing of stormwater indefinitely. stormwater is stored
until it is lost through percolation, taken in by plants, or through evaporation.
Storing of stormwater to prevent its discharge into receiving waters or to provide
a storage facility for stormwater where no outfall is available.
Receiving area - An area designated to receive higher density development as
part of a transfer of development rights (TDR) program.
Reclamation -The process of remediating a heavily damaged site so that it can
serve some useful purpose, even if it is not returned to its original condition.
Saturation -Generally refers to the water content in the soil, where the
unsaturated zone is above the water table and the saturated zone is below the
water table.
Sending area - An area designated to retain its rural land uses (such as habitat
or agriculture) as part of a transfer of development rights (TDR) program.
Species of Special Concern -Although the species is not endangered or
threatened, it is extremely uncommon in Florida, or has unique or highly specific
habitat requirements and deserves careful monitoring of its status.
Sustainability -The combination of ecological integrity (such as planting trees
that are native or adapted to the area in which they are planted and have
adequate unimpeded area for the roots and crown to grow to maturity) with the
human objectives of long term economic prosperity.
Threatened species -Those species that may soon become endangered are
called threatened species.
Transfer of development rights (TDR) - A planning tool that is used to protect
rural lands from development while encouraging higher density development in
designated suitable locations. TDR programs allow landowners in areas where
development is discouraged (sending areas) to sell the rights to develop their
land to developers in areas where development is encouraged (receiving areas),
thus transferring those rights from one site to the other. As a result of the
transfer, the land in the sending area is permanently protected from development
while additional development is allowed to be built in the receiving area. TDR
programs usually involve numerous financial negotiations between the sender
and the receiver as to the price of a unit of density as well as negotiations over
"residual density" to be left on the sending property.
Urban areas -The areas designated on the land use plan for residential,
commercial, and industrial development at urban or suburban densities.
Urban growth boundary - A designated area within which urban development
is encouraged and outside of which development is prohibited or strongly
discouraged. This boundary often coincides with the urban service area (the
area within which a county or municipality has the rights to provide urban
services such as water and sewer).
Xeric - A habitat with a deficient supply of moisture (deserts).
Xeriscape (Xeriscaping) -Refers to landscaping which minimizes the need for
supplemental irrigation. The word "Xeriscaping" was coined by combining xeros
(Greek for "dry")with landscape. Plants whose natural requirements are
appropriate to the local climate and soil types are emphasized, and care is taken
to avoid losing water to evaporation, rapid percolation, and run-off. Xeriscaping
is not the same as "zero-soaping" (in which the landscape consists mostly of
concrete, stones or gravel, with perhaps a cactus or two thrown in). On the
contrary, xeriscaping can look lush and colorful. In some areas, terms such as
drought-tolerant landscaping and smart soaping are used instead.
Viable population -The minimum number of individuals needed for a given
population to survive in the long term.
Watershed -The area of land that drains to a given water body, such as a lake
or stream (also called a drainage basin).
Water table -The upper surface of the zone of saturation in permeable rocks not
confined by impermeable rocks. It may also be defined as the surface
underground at which the water is at atmospheric pressure.
Wellhead protection area - An area designated by local government to provide
land use protection for the ground water source for a potable water wellfield,
including the surface and subsurface area surrounding the wellfield. Differing
levels of protection may be established within the wellhead protection area
commensurate with the capacity of the well and an evaluation of the risk to
human health and the environment. Wellhead protection areas are delineated
using professionally accepted methodologies based on the best available data
and taking into account any zones of contribution described in existing data.
Wetland -Wetlands are found under a wide range of hydrological conditions, but
at least some of the time water saturates the soil. Generally, wetlands are lands
where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil
development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and
on its surface (Cowardin, December 1979). Wetlands vary widely because of
regional and local differences in soils, topography, climate, hydrology, water
chemistry, vegetation, and other factors, including human disturbance. Wetlands
are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every continent except Antarctica.
Wetlands area defined by the comprehensive plan as being transitional areas
between the open waters of streams and lakes and the adjacent uplands.
How are Lands Preserved? What tools are available to enable the
ureservation of land?
Preservation is best accomplished when more than one of the following is utilized:
1. Out right Purchase; Donation or Conveyance (for management)
Change in Ownership to those who share the same goals;
Removal of lands from the threat of development by obtaining control of the land.
2. Conservation Easement via platting or recorded agreement
Executed and recorded with Seminole County Clerk of the Circuit Court; and
Should include specific language restricting the use of the land in perpetuity and
guiding appropriate management via a conservation easement agreement.
May be conveyed to another entity for management:
Homeowners Association
SJRW MD
City of Winter Springs
Other Non-Profit Entity, such as Audubon Society, etc.
3. Land Use designation in the Comprehensive Plan
Designation in the City's Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use Element;
Change of designation requires a minimum of three public hearings with final
approval by the City Commission.
4. Regulations and Permitting
Local and State governments oversee environmentally sensitive areas by requiring
permits to be obtained, prior to alteration. These regulations may deter
development or slow development but do not prevent development. Generally a
fee is charged to offset the impact of the proposed development.
(For example, Winter Springs allows the removal of trees, but requires the impact
to be offset by the planting of new trees or the payment of a fee to the tree bank.
Similarly, the development of wetlands is permitted through the purchase of
mitigation lands to replace the impact on the onsite wetlands. Permitting is
managed through the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD).)
City of WinterjPrin~s
Source: Winter Springs Planning Dept. and Seminole County Property Appraiser, Jan. 2007
0 3,250 6,500 13,000 Feet
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Source: Winter Springs Planning Dept. and Seminole County Property Appraiser, Jan. 2007
SELECTION CRITERIA
Note: All lands were evaluated with the following cirteria in mind. Although each site listed below satisfies these criteria, some sites fulfill the intent of the
criteria to a higher degree than other sites- as identified below.
A Preservation of threatened or endangered animal or plant species.
According to data from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, the area in the City with the highest integrated wildlife habitat is the
swampy shoreline identified as site # 9. Stars on the map indicate areas with the greatest significant wildlife habitat. Wildlife greatly benefits from
expansive areas left in preservation and preserved lands that are linked together to form corridors. For this reason, Staff has considered
CONSERVATION CONNECTIVITY and WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION, as meeting this criteria. Sites 1, 5, 7, 8~ 9 meet this criteria.
B Preservation of wetlands that could be built upon through wetland mitigation rules
National Wetland Inventory Data is useful at a broad scale and may not be acurate when applied to an individual site. It is most useful when
combined with other data (including floodway, flood plain, hydric soils, and natural vegetation) to determine which lands are environmentally
constrained or which have significant environmental value. Staff has considered these ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS in evaluating whether sites
meet this criteria. Sites 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 & 10 meet this criteria.
C Lands which would preserve aquifer recharge areas.
Based on data from the St. Johns River Water Management District, no sites in the City offer significant aquifer recharge. However, the City has
opportunity to influence stream discharge into Lake Jesup from the surrounding Lake Jesup Drainage Basin. Protection of stream floodway
corridors is critical to the PROTECTIONOF WATER RESOURCES and has been considered part of this criteria by Staff. Sites 3, 4, 6 & 9 meet
this criteria.
D Lands that would provide aesthetic, noise, and light buffers between developed land
Lands that meet this criteria are those that buffer development from major transportation corridors or would provide future relief to urbanization.
These sites are also THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT. Sites 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, & 10 meet this criteria.
E Land which could be utilized for active or passive recreational purposes
Lands located on the existing Cross Seminole Trail provide an excellent opportunity for public access and RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
Additionally, areas of the City lacking in recreational areas are included as meeting this criteria. Sites 3, 7, 8 & 10 meet this criteria.
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Source: Winter Springs Community Development Department, Planning Division, January 2007