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LOCHMUELLER GROUP | CITY OF SOUTH BEND COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE 3 10 <br /> <br />DRIVING THE CRITICAL PATH <br /> <br />The most common challenges for LPA -Federal Aid projects are <br />ENVIRONMENTAL and potential ROW impacts. <br /> <br />As is the case on all federally funded LPA projects, <br />Phase 3 of the Coal Line Trail will require the <br />completion of an environmental document evaluating <br />the project’s impacts on the cultural and natural <br />environments. Lochmueller’s in-house environmental <br />and cultural resources team will work with our design <br />team to ensure the environmental document <br />encompasses all the necessary supporting studies to properly evaluate the <br />proposed path. <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS SUMMARY <br />+ NEPA Document / Categorical Exclusion (CE) – Level 1 <br />+ Alternatives Screening <br />+ Section 106, MPPA Documentation <br />+ Public Involvement: Key Stakeholder Engagement prior to design & Public <br />Information Meetings prior to flnal CE <br /> <br />Lochmueller will engage key stakeholders with an invested interest in <br />the outcome of this project to ensure their residential, business, and <br />community needs are met to the greatest extent. <br /> <br />PERMIT SUMMARY <br />Construction Stormwater General Permit (formerly known as a Rule 5 Permit) <br /> <br />PRIMARY CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />Lochmueller’s primary environmental approach goal is <br />to manage the project schedule in a manner ensuring <br />successful, timely project delivery. Two critical factors <br />affecting the overall project schedule include: <br /> <br />CULTURAL RESOURCES <br />Comprehensive cultural resource impact evaluations, <br />known as “Full Section 106” investigations, can take 12-15 months to complete, <br />and their approval must precede submission of the Draft CE. Lochmueller <br />believes a Full Section 106 Investigation will be required if the trail is located <br />immediately in front of the South Bend Brewing Association “Bottling House” <br />located on the west side of College Street, between Rupel and LWW. Other <br />routes will be eligible for review under the Minor Projects Programmatic <br />Agreement (MPPA), thereby saving 6-8 months on the project’s environmental <br />schedule. <br /> <br />ROW <br />Any acquisition necessary for the planned improvements typically requires up to <br />12 months to complete. The schedule below provides 7-10 months while <br />maintaining an August 2025 Letting Date. <br /> <br />OTHER CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />TREE REMOVAL <br />Tree removal must occur between October 1st and March 31st in order to comply <br />with USFWS policies aimed at reducing impacts to endangered bat species. This <br />should be a consideration for any necessary project schedule changes. <br /> <br />HAZARDOUS MATERIALS <br />Two Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST) sites, and three State Cleanup <br />sites are located near the north end of the proposed project. Engagement with <br />INDOT Site Assessment and Management (SAM) will occur early during project <br />development. Additional hazardous material investigations may be necessary to <br />determine if contaminated soils will be encountered during construction. <br /> <br />PROPOSED PROJECT SCHEDULE <br />PROJECT APPROACH <br />8/6/25 <br />Trail Design Environmental ROW* PI Mtg. <br />*Schedule offers up to 7-10 months for acquisition.