9. Solar Landscaping Report- Staff memo to PC 11.5
Memorandum
To:
Scandia Planning Commission
Reference:
Condition of Landscaping at
Scandia Solar Gardens
Copies To: Ken Cammilleri, City
Administrator
Brenda Eklund, City Clerk
Project #: 17123.000
From: Merritt Clapp-Smith, Planner
Date: October 29, 2019
SUBJECT: Status of Landscaping at Community Solar Gardens in Scandia
based on October 2019 inspections
MEETING DATE: November 5, 2019
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In October, I inspected the condition of landscaping installations at the city’s major solar
gardens. The inspections were needed to determine how well the landscaping was growing, and
consequently to decide if the escrows guaranteeing the plantings could be released.
My inspections found the planting groups to be in generally healthy condition with good to
strong survival rates for the planted trees and for the native grasses and perennials. The
shrubs, however, struggled in most locations, with strong evidence of deer grazing. A number of
the dead trees had also fallen victim to deer activity, in the form of antler rubbing that stripped
the bark.
On the next page is a table summarizing the landscaping condition of each installation, the
amount of the escrow, and the escrow deadline. In the last column, I have suggested whether
replacement landscaping is needed before the escrow is returned. On the subsequent pages
are photos or plans from the inspection sites, indicating the condition of plantings.
Scandia Planning Commission
November 5, 2019
Solar garden landscaping inspections in October 2019
Page 2 of 6
Solar Gardens in Scandia and Summary of Landscaping Inspections done in October 2019
Site Escrow
Escrow
Period
Evergreens
Survival Rate
Deciduous
Survival Rate
Shrubs
Survival Rate Notes Replacement Needed?
1
Konista Solar at
Manning & Hwy
97 (Scandia Tr N),
NW corner
(former gravel
pit)
$ 4,000.00 Review by
Nov. 2017
East - 75%
South - 100%
East - 40%
South - 0%
East - 0%
South - 100%
East side planting screen
almost non-existent.
Panels about 100 yards
from Manning and at a
lower elevation, so
visibility is limited.
North side plantings
growing great, plus thick
screen of existing trees and
shrubs on the berm.
MAYBE
Additional planting on
East side?
2
EVS / Blattner
Solar
11480 Scandia
Trail N
$ 485,000.00 Review by
Nov. 2018 76%NA 30%
Shrub survival modest;
most are heavily deer
chewed.
NO
Good tree growth to
provide screen at full
size. Seems pointless to
replace shrubs given deer
grazing.
3
Argo Nevis /
Zavoral Solar at
Hwy 97 & Hwy 95
$ 75,000.00 Review by
Nov. 2019 90%90%NA Trees doing very well.NO
Strong growth.
4 Oldfield Ave $ 173,437.50 Review by
July 2019 86%96%17%
Trees doing very well.
Shrubs absent or deer
chewed.
NO
Living trees of decent
thickness. eems pointless
to replace shrubs.
5 Hogle $ 1,800.00 Review by
Nov. 2019 100%66%NA 1 dead crabapple
YES
Solar installer asked to
replace the dead
crabapple in spring 2020.
6 Wolford Solar at
Manning Ave $ 35,000.00 Review by
Sept 2020
Scandia Planning Commission
November 5, 2019
Solar garden landscaping inspections in October 2019
Page 3 of 6
EVS / Blattner Solar Installation – 11480 Scandia Trail North
This picture shows some of the
dogwood plantings along the
northern property line. These
shrubs are healthy and tall,
unlike the 70% that are deer
chewed and low, or
nonexistent. The dogwoods and
other shrubs that are heavily
surrounded by native grasses
are less grazed by deer than the
more visible shrubs.
This picture shows the spruce
along the northern property
line. Over 75% of the spruce
are thriving. The other 25% of
spruce, that are either
struggling or dead, are evenly
distributed among the live
trees, making their absence less
noticeable from a distance.
This picture is taken along the
western property line, where
the spruce are similarly
successful and the shrubs
similarly sparse.
The native grasses and
perennials on all sides are thick
and healthy.
Scandia Planning Commission
November 5, 2019
Solar garden landscaping inspections in October 2019
Page 4 of 6
Konista Solar – NW corner of Manning and Highway 97
This picture along the
eastern property line shows
a few trees far apart from
one another and no shrubs.
The proposed eastern
planting line was thin in the
proposed planting plan and
only 40% of plantings
remain today.
This picture shows 2 spruce
and a shrub along the
southern property line next
to Hwy 97. The solar
installation is at a lower
elevation than the roadside
and the roadside has a thick
row of pre-existing trees
and shrubs. The planting
plan added spruce,
deciduous and shrubs to
the existing vegetation and
all are thriving.
This picture was taken from
the roadside of Highway 97,
looking into the one gap
within the pre-existing
screen of trees and shrubs.
The planted spruce and
deciduous in the gap area
are all growing well and will
fill the visual gap when fully
grown.
Scandia Planning Commission
November 5, 2019
Solar garden landscaping inspections in October 2019
Page 5 of 6
Oldfield Avenue Solar
This picture shows the berm
along the Oldfield Avenue
side of the solar installation.
The evergreen and
deciduous trees are growing
well, with an average 91%
success rate.
This picture shows another
portion of the planted berm
along Oldfield Avenue. The
couple of shrubs in front of
the trees are among only
17% that have survived site
wide. Most shrubs are deer
chewed to the ground or
non-existent.
This picture shows the
northern property line. The
one dead spruce shown is
rare among this otherwise
thriving planted row of
evergreens and deciduous.
Existing trees and shrubs
along the property line
form a second layer of
visual screen from the
north.
Scandia Planning Commission
November 5, 2019
Solar garden landscaping inspections in October 2019
Page 6 of 6
Argo Nevis / Zavoral Solar – Highways 95 & 95
This shows the original planting plan
for the Argo Nevis solar installation at
the Zavoral property. The orange
highlights on the plan indicate where
the plantings were actually installed.
Former City Administrator Neil Soltis
said that the planting plan was
modified from the original after
complaints from the property owner
to the south. The current plantings
(1) form a screen closer to the
road; and
(2) do not run north to south
along the southern portion of
the west property line. The
neighbor to the south asked
not to have his views of the
river valley blocked by trees.
The Argo Nevis solar installation is at a significantly lower elevation than the public right-of-ways and
therefore is barely visible with or without the plantings in place.