EXHIBIT CC Landscape Plan
APPLICATION TO THE OHIO POWER SITING BOARD FOR A
CERTIFICATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY AND PUBLIC NEED FOR THE
Case No. 24-0801-EL -BGN
To: Doug Herling Open Road Renewables
Project/File: 239000643
From: Daniel L Malone PLA, LEED AP Stantec: Williamsburg, VA
Date: September 30, 2024
Reference: Grange Solar Grazing Center - Preliminary Landscape Plan: Planting Narrative
Stantec developed a Preliminary Landscape Plan for the Grange Solar Grazing Center Project in Logan County, OH to provide visual mitigation for the proposed development. The following narrative provides context for the development of this plan.
Project Background:
As part of the development of this site, Stantec, inc. Has worked with Grange Solar, LLC to develop a Preliminary Landscape Plan to help mitigate visual impacts of the project from roadways and adjacent land uses while maintaining a natural character that fits within the context and character of the existing landscape. The project will be visible from various roadways and properties (both participating landowners and non-participating landowners). It is important that visual mitigation be considered differently for areas depending on the adjacent uses, intensity of viewership, viewsheds, and overall contextual relationship to the project. Specific treatment modules as outlined in this plan are designed to be replicable and are able to be prescribed in various scenarios around the project. With any site, plant community composition varies due to differences in topography, soils, sun exposure, and other factors. It is important to not only recognize what plants are appropriate for a region but for a specific site or area. This landscape plan proposes to utilize native landscape material that will be well adapted to the climate of this region. Native plants provide long term maintenance benefits as well as ecological benefits for soil stabilization, water quality, wildlife habitat, and pollinators. Most notably, they are adapted to the specific conditions of a region and are able to better tolerate weather, drought, disease, soil conditions, and are generally hardier than non-native species. Because of these benefits, native plants generally survive longer and are easier to maintain over the course of their establishment. Native plants will also blend better into the existing landscape since many of these plants are naturally occurring in existing fields, roadsides, fence rows, etc. These ecological benefits will be balanced with the need to provide visual mitigation and overall aesthetic character that will complement the existing land use and setting. The project has been sited in a way to minimize impacts to the forested lands, shrublands, wetlands, and streams within the project area, thereby minimizing impacts to trees and woody vegetation. Project infrastructure and the maintained buffers around them will be located primarily on agriculture and open lands.
Project Goals:
The overall goal of the landscape plan is to provide visual interest while visually softening the infrastructure of the project. Screening is provided in higher viewership areas and in adjacent land uses that warrant it. While plans are not intended to provide 100% visual obstruction from the project, the primary goals of the modules are to:
· Provide visual interest to visually soften the proposed infrastructure;
· Provide screening and visual barriers that consider viewership intensity, adjacent land use, and shading potential;
· Develop modules that would be appropriate for the existing landscape
· Utilize existing landscape vegetation where possible;
Doug Herling Page 2 of 3
Reference: Preliminary Landscape Plan: Planting Narrative
· Avoid monocultures of same species to increase biodiversity;
· Utilize regionally native plant material; and,
· Incorporate pollinator friendly species and use select cultivars when needed.
Planting Modules:
Three modules (Residential Screening, Public Screening, Existing Vegetation) have been developed for application at the project site for the purpose of visually softening the infrastructure of the project. These modules are intended to be flexible and adaptable to the various conditions that occur along the perimeter of the project. The modules are prescribed to various areas based on the need to provide more screening, visual interest, softening, and character to the existing landscape. Where practicable, existing vegetation is utilized along the road, fence lines, and property lines.
Residential Screening:
The intent of the residential screening is to provide visual softening, visual interest, and robust screening in areas of the highest viewership, or when viewership is in close proximity to the proposed arrays. These areas would be defined where viewership is the highest and the viewing period is longest. Typically, this module is used in areas where residential properties are within 300 feet of visible panels, and therefore, screening is also more ornamental in nature. This module proposes a mix of deciduous and evergreen species, providing both year-round screening with evergreens, while also creating habitat for pollinators as well as increased visual interest with the incorporation of flowering shrub and understory trees species. Evergreen species are located behind the deciduous plant material in a continual form to better provide screening throughout all seasons. Being located behind the deciduous material allows these varied nonevergreen species to break up the continuity of the evergreen material. Due to the proximity of the screening to the solar panels, specific cultivars of native species are proposed to ensure plant height does not create shading on adjacent panels.
Public Screening:
The screening provided by the public screening module is intended for use around existing natural areas and areas typically more distant from the project. The intent of this module is to create as natural of a forested screening buffer as possible within the sightlines from the observer. The buffer composition is a mix of both deciduous and evergreen species, ranging from shrubs to understory trees. The species composition of this screening is varied, aiming to create the diversity of species found in the adjacent natural landscapes. Since shading restrictions are still present, native species cultivars are proposed in this module when the straight species would exceed shading height limits. The layout of material is intended to be random, so no repeating patterns are observed, mimicking a natural forest. The module is wider than other types, and is intended to recruit volunteer species, promoting the successional growth of the native woodlands, creating a thick, dense year-round visual barrier, increasing its visual screening capacity over time. Evergreen species are intermixed to facilitate the year-round screening early in the establishment of the screening buffer. This module will also be planted among native grasses/wildflowers or seeded with appropriate native, pollinator friendly species.
Existing Screening:
Where existing vegetation (trees and shrubs) is present, this material will be left in place to provide screening towards the project
Thank you,
VEGETATIVESCREENINGNOTES: SHRUBANDTREEINSTALLATION
1.THECONTRACTORSHALLBERESPONSIBLEFORLAYOUTOFALLWORKCOVEREDUNDERTHESEPLANS.
2.ALLPLANTMATERIAL,UNLESSOTHERWISESPECIFIED,SHALLBEUNIFORMLYBRANCHEDANDHAVEAVIGOROUSROOT SYSTEM.PLANTMATERIALSHALLBEHEALTHY,VIGOROUS,ANDFREEFROMDEFECTS,DECAY,DISEASES,INSECTPEST EGGS,ANDALLFORMSOFINFESTATION.ALLPLANTMATERIALSHALLBEFRESH,FREEFROMTRANSPLANTSHOCKOR VISIBLEWILT.PLANTSDEEMEDUNHEALTHYSHALLBEREJECTED.
3.ALLPLANTMATERIALSHALLMEETTHEMINIMUMSPECIFICATIONSANDSTANDARDSDESCRIBEDINTHECURRENTISSUE OF“THEAMERICANSTANDARDFORNURSERYSTOCK,”PUBLISHEDBYTHEAMERICANASSOCIATIONOFNURSERYMEN, 1250STREET,N.W.,SUITE500,WASHINGTON,D.C.20005.
4.ALLCONTAINERSTOCKSHALLHAVEBEENPROPAGATEDINACONTAINERLONGENOUGHFORTHEROOTSYSTEMTO HAVEDEVELOPEDSUFFICIENTLYTOHOLDITSSOIL.CONTAINERSTOCKWITHPOORLYDEVELOPEDROOTSYSTEMS SHALLNOTBEACCEPTED.
5.PLANTSSHALLBEPREPAREDFORSHIPMENTINAMANNERTHATSHALLNOTCAUSEDAMAGETOTHEBARK,BUDS, BRANCHES,STEMS,OROVERALLSHAPEOFTHESTOCK.CONTAINERGROWNPLANTSSHALLBETRANSPORTEDINTHE CONTAINERSINWHICHTHEYHAVEBEENGROWN.
6.PLANTSNOTINSTALLEDONTHEDAYOFARRIVALATTHESITESHALLBESTOREDANDPROTECTEDBYTHECONTRACTOR. OUTSIDESTORAGEAREASSHALLBESHADEDANDPROTECTEDFROMTHEWINDANDSUN.PLANTSSTOREDONSITE SHALLBEPROTECTEDFROMANYDRYINGATALLTIMESBYCOVERINGTHEBALLSORROOTSWITHMOISTSAWDUST,WET BURLAP,WOODCHIPS,SHREDDEDBARK,PEATMOSS,OROTHERSIMILARMULCHINGMATERIAL.
7.PLANTSUBSTITUTIONSMAYBEMADEBASEDONAVAILABILITYBUTMUSTBEOFSIMILARSIZEANDLANDSCAPE (SCREENING)VALUE.ALLSUBSTITUTIONSMUSTBEAPPROVEDBYTHEOWNEROROWNER'SREPRESENTATIVE.
8.THECONTRACTORSHALLVERIFYALLDIMENSIONSINTHEFIELD.
9.NOPLANTINGSHALLOCCURWHENTHESOILISFROZEN.
PLANTINGSEQUENCE
1.DIGTHEPLANTINGHOLEAMINIMUMOF2xWIDTHOFROOTBALLFORATLEASTTHEFIRST12INCHESOFDEPTH. BELOW12INCHES,DIGHOLEWIDEENOUGHTOPERMITADJUSTING.DONOTDIGTHEHOLEDEEPERTHANROOTBALL DEPTH.
2.HOLESFORINDIVIDUALPLANTINGSSHALLBEEXCAVATEDTOPRODUCEVERTICALSIDESANDFLATBOTTOMS.ALL PLANTINGHOLESSHALLHAVEROUGHED,SCARIFIEDSIDESANDBOTTOMS.
3.THECONTRACTORSHALLAPPLYAGRIFORMFORESTSTARTERTABLETS,OREQUIVALENTPRODUCT,TOEACHPLANT ASPERMANUFACTURER'SDIRECTIONSONLABELATTIMEOFPLANTING.
4.LIFTANDSETTHETREEBYROOTBALLONLY.DONOTLIFTUSINGTHETREETRUNKANDDONOTUSETREETRUNKAS ALEVER.
5.SETTHETOPOFTHEROOTBALLLEVELWITHTHESOILSURFACEORSLIGHTLYHIGHERIFTHESOILISPRONETO SETTLING.
6.BACKFILLWITHEXISTINGSOILTHATHASBEENWELL-TILLEDORBROKENUP.
7.PRUNINGSHALLBELIMITEDTODEAD,DISEASED,ORBROKENLIMBSONLYANDSHALLBEINACCORDANCEWITHANSI A300SPECIFICATIONS.
8.REMOVEANYTRUNKWRAPREMAININGATTIMEOFPLANTING.NOWRAPSSHALLBEPLACEDONTRUNK.
9.THECONTRACTORSHALLRESTOREAREASDISTURBEDBYTHEINSTALLATIONOFSHRUBSANDTREES. 10.SHREDDEDHARDWOODMULCHSHALLBEPLACEDTO3"-4"DEEPACROSSTHEENTIRELANDSCAPEBEDSFORTHE TYPE1MODULE.TYPE2MODULEBEDSSHALLBESEEDEDWITHPOLLINATORMIXWHEREDISTURBED.
RUBBERHOSE (ORAPPROVED EQUIVALENT) GALVANIZEDGUYWIRE 2"X2"HARDWOODSTAKE
3"4"SHREDDED HARDWOODMULCH, PULLED3"AWAYFROM BASEOFTREE/SHRUB.
3"4"SHREDDED HARDWOODMULCH, PULLED3"AWAYFROM BASEOFTREE/SHRUB,
BACKFILLWITHMATERIAL REMOVEDDURINGPLANTING PITEXCAVATIONANDTAMP TOPREVENTSETTLEMENT
NOTE:CONTRACTORISRESPONSIBLEFORENSURING PLANTSREMAINUPRIGHTAFTERINSTALLATION.ANY TREE5'ORTALLERINHEIGHTMUSTBESTAKED.
PUBLICSCREENING:+/-92912LF
CORNUSRACEMOSA GRAYDOGWOOD
-LAYOUTSHOWNISINTENDEDTOBEILLUSTRATIVE. ACTUALLAYOUTOFPLANTMATERIALSHALLBE RANDOMIZEDWITHINMODULE,WITHNOREPEATING PATTERNS.SPECIESUSAGEANDPLACEMENTSHALLBE EVENLYDISTRIBUTEDAMONGTHEMODULES,BASEDON THEFOLLOWINGSTOCKINGRATES: SHRUBS:9PERMODULE UNDERSTORYTREES:4PERMODULE EVERGREENTREES:6PERMODULE
-SHRUBSSHALLBECLUSTEREDINMINIMUMGROUPSOF 3BYSPECIES.
-UNDERSTORYTREESSHALLONLYBEPLACEDINTHE OUTERHALFOFTHEPLANTINGAREA(AWAYFROMSOLAR PANELS).
SHRUB,UNDERSTORY ANDEVERGREENTREES
NATIVEPOLLINATOR SEEDMIX
CAREXBLANDA COMMONWOODSEDGE
CAREXVULPINOIDEA FOXSEDGE
DICHANTHELIUM DICHOTOMIFLORUM SMOOTHPANICGRASS
ECHINACEAPURPUREA PURPLECONEFLOWER
ELYMUSRIPARIUS RIVERBANKWILDRYE
ELYMUSVIRGINICUS VIRGINIAWILDRYE
EUPATORIUMPERFOLIATUM BONESET
1.0% EUTROCHIUMPURPUREUM JOEPYEWEED 1.5% HELENIUMAUTUMNALE COMMONSNEEZEWEED 1.5% HELIOPSISHELIANTHOIDES OXEYESUNFLOWER 2.0% LIATRISSPICATA MARSHBLAZINGSTAR 0.5% MONARDAFISTULOSA WILDBERGAMOT 3.0% MUHLENBERGIASCHREBERI NIMBLEWEED
1.5% PENSTEMONDIGITALIS WHITEBEARDTONGUE 0.5% PYCNANTHEMUM VIRGINIANUM VIRGINIAMOUNTAINMINT
1.0% RUDBECKIAHIRTA BLACKEYEDSUSAN
20.0% SCHIZACHYRIUM SCOPARIUM LITTLEBLUESTEM
1.0% SOLIDAGORUGOSA WRINKLELEAFGOLDENROD
5.0% SORGHASTRUMNUTANS INDIANGRASS
0.5% SYMPHYOTRICHUMLAEVE SMOOTHBLUEASTER
1.0% SYMPHYOTRICHUMPILOSUM HAIRYWHITEFIELDASTER
2.0% TRADESCANTIAOHIENSIS OHIOSPIDERWORT
0.5% VERBENAHASTATA BLUEVERVAIN
1.5% VERBESINAALTERNIFOLIA WINGSTEM
1.0% ZIZIAAUREA GOLDENALEXANDERS
BLOOMPERIODSAREASPROVIDEDBYTHELADYBIRDJOHNSONWILDFLOWERCENTER(https://www.wildflower.org/plants/)
NATIVEPOLLINATORHABITATSEEDINGNARRATIVE:
THENATIVEPOLLINATORHABITATSEEDMIXCONTAINSNATIVEGRASSES,SEDGES,RUSHES,ANDWILDFLOWERS.THEMIXPROVIDESADIVERSITYOFWILDFLOWERS, WITHFLOWERINGOCCURRINGOVERAVARIETYOFBLOOMPERIODS(SPRING,SUMMER,ANDFALL),ALONGWITHNATIVEGRASSESANDSEDGESTHATPROVIDE BENEFITSTOPOLLINATORSANDOTHERWILDLIFE.THESEEDMIXISINTENDEDTOPROVIDESHORTTOMEDIUMSTATURENATIVEPLANTCOVERANDDIVERSITY,AS WELLASIMPROVELONG-TERMSOILHEALTH.THENATIVEPOLLINATORHABITATSEEDMIXWILLBEINSTALLEDINSELECTPERIMETERAREASOUTSIDETHEFENCE, PRIMARILYINAREASOFTHEPUBLICSCREENINGBUFFERS.ALLSPECIESINTHISMIXARENATIVETOTHEREGIONANDDOESNOTINCLUDEANYTALLANDAGGRESSIVE NATIVESPECIESTHATMIGHTMOVEBYSEEDANDESTABLISHINTHEARRAYAREA.
SITEPREPARATION:
AGRICULTURALFIELDSOFTENEXHIBITANNUALWEEDSTHATCANBECHEMICALLYTREATEDWITHAGLYPHOSATE-BASEDHERBICIDEANDORMOWING,BUTINEITHER CASE,TREATMENTNEEDSTOOCCURBEFOREWEEDSPRODUCESEED.DISKINGORTILLINGOFTARGETAREASTORECEIVETHESEEDMIXSHALLBECOMPLETED AFTERTHEINITIALKILL-OFFFROMTHEFIRSTHERBICIDETREATMENT.THISTILLINGWILLPROMOTESUBSEQUENTGERMINATIONOFSEEDSEXISTINGINTHESOIL SEEDBANK.FOLLOWINGGERMINATIONOFTHESEWEEDSEEDS,AFOLLOW-UPHERBICIDETREATMENTSHALLBECOMPLETEDATTHEAPPROPRIATETIMINGTO FACILITATEEFFECTIVEMORTALITYOFTHETARGETSPECIES.SOILSINTHEPROJECTAREAHAVEBEENHISTORICALLYCROPPEDRECEIVINGROUTINEFERTILIZER APPLICATIONS.TYPICALLY,THEFERTILITYISCONSTRAINEDBYEXCESSFERTILIZERRATHERTHANLACKTHEREOF.LIKEWISE,SEEDMIXDESIGNSELECTSSPECIES ANDSTRAINSTHATDONOTREQUIREFERTILIZER,WATER,ORPESTICIDESTOESTABLISHANDMAINTAIN.NATIVESPECIESTHRIVEBESTINLOWNUTRIENT CONDITIONS,WHILEOVERLYFERTILESOILSTENDTOFAVORNOXIOUSWEEDSTHATOUT-COMPETEDESIRABLEVEGETATION.THEREARENOSOILAMENDMENTS RECOMMENDEDTOTHENATIVEPOLLINATORSEEDMIXAREAS.
SEEDINGAPPLICATION:
PLANTTHENATIVEPOLLINATORHABITATMIXATTHEFIRSTPLANTINGWINDOWAFTERCONSTRUCTIONACTIVITIESARECOMPLETEFOREACHAREATHATISCOMPLETED, ANDOVERSEEDAREASTHATHAVELIMITEDSEEDGERMINATION/SURVIVALTHATWEREPREVIOUSLYSEEDED.THEPREFERREDWINDOWFORINSTALLATIONOFTHE NATIVEPOLLINATORHABITATSEEDMIXNATIVEISFALL(SEPTEMBER1OCTOBER15).THENATIVESEEDINGWINDOWMAYEXTENDTHROUGHWINTERANDINTO EARLYSPRINGIFFIELDSAREACCESSIBLEWITHSEEDINGEQUIPMENTANDTEMPERATUREAREABOVEFREEZING.WINTERSEEDINGSEEDRATESSHOULDBE INCREASEDBY20%.ANOTHERSUITABLENATIVESEEDINGWINDOWISFEBRUARY15THOUGHMAY31.
ANURSECROPSHOULDBEINSTALLEDWITHTHENATIVESEEDTOASSISTWITHGROW-INOFPERMANENTSEED,ASFOLLOWS: •IFPERMANENTSEEDISINSTALLEDDURINGTHESPRING,THENURSECROPSHOULDCONSISTOFSEEDOATS(AVENASATIVA)AT25LB/ACANDANNUALRYEGRASS (LOLIUMMULTIFLORUM)AT5LB/AC, •IFPERMANENTSEEDISINSTALLEDDURINGFALL/WINTER,THECOVERCROPSHOULDCONSISTOFWINTERWHEAT(TRITICUMAESTIVUM)ANDANNUALRYEGRASS (LOLIUMMULTIFLORUM)AT5LB/AC.
THESITESHOULDBEMULCHEDWITHCERTIFIEDWEED-FREESTRAWAT2,000LB/ACAFTERSEEDINGAPPLICATION.