The proposed work consists of the construction of a mixed-use development including industrial, commercial, civic and residential uses. In detail, the proposed project is a master planned development at the 4,304.65-acre Riverport Tract situated north and south of I-95, with improvements to the existing two-lane Purrysburg Road as well as a new interchange with I-95 at Mile Marker 3. Residential development, including 3,339 residential dwelling units, would occupy the project area north of I-95, with commercial and civic development situated along both sides of the new interchange and within the southern portion of the site, including over 10.6 million square feet of industrial warehouse space and 2.6 million square feet of commercial space (restaurant and hotel, grocery store, hospital, and office/retail space). As shown on the public notice drawings, a portion of Purrysburg Road would be replaced by the proposed Riverport Parkway, which would be a four-lane, divided roadway for the length of the development, crossing I-95 at Exit 3 (proposed) and would taper back to two lanes north of I-95. The southern portion of Purrysburg Road between U.S. Highway 17 and Riverport Parkway would only be two lanes from U.S. Highway 17 up to the project boundary. Within the project area, the section of Purrysburg Road that is not transitioned to Riverport Parkway will be terminated to develop a warehouse. The proposed work would require the placement of fill material into 46.34 acres of waters of the United States and an additional 22.00 acres of non-jurisdictional waters to accomplish road crossings for internal project access as well as for improvements to Purrysburg Road and I-95 where Exit 3 is proposed.
After determining that sufficient mitigation bank credits do not exist, the applicant has proposed to mitigate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands and other waters of the United States by conducting a permittee-responsible mitigation plan. Specifically, the applicant has developed a permittee-responsible mitigation plan consisting of two areas (a total of 349.06 acres of wetlands and uplands), which are located within the residential portion of the project site. The conceptual mitigation plan includes the enhancement of 178.54 acres of wetland and the preservation of 73.42 acres of wetland and 99.10 acres of upland buffer.