the south and 600 feet to the west of the parcel, and the site lies adjacent to the main stem of the Toms River, which is subject to a municipally adopted and Commission-certified natural resource protection plan requiring a 600-foot buffer to protect threatened and endangered species habitat. The 300-foot wetlands buffer encroaches onto the southern portion of the site.

The nearest mapped waterway is Toms River, located over 700 feet to the west of the property. This waterway is classified as a PL-TM waterway according to the Surface Water Quality Standards. The site is located in the Barnegat Bay Watershed Management Area (WMA 13), within the Toms River (above Oak Ridge Parkway) watershed (13EA), and the Toms River Toms River (Rt 70 to Hope Chapel Road) subwatershed (13EA03) (HUC14: 02040301060070).

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Preliminary FIRMs, the site is not located within a flood hazard area (refer to Figure 11: FEMA Preliminary Flood Map). The distance of the waterway to the project site exceeds the maximum regulated riparian zone distance of 300 feet. It is the determination of DuBois that the project is not subject to jurisdiction of the FHA regulations.

Regulated freshwater wetlands and associated buffer areas are located primarily to the south and west of the project site. No direct wetland disturbance is proposed as part of the redevelopment, and all new construction, grading, and permanent improvements are confined to areas outside mapped wetland boundaries and required buffer setbacks. Portions of the site previously experienced unauthorized disturbance within wetland buffer areas; however, these areas are proposed to be restored and revegetated in accordance with an approved wetlands buffer restoration plan, resulting in a net improvement to buffer function and long-term ecological stability.

Site hydrology will be managed through an integrated stormwater system consisting of porous pavement, underground infiltration facilities, and surface basins designed to retain and infiltrate runoff generated by impervious surfaces. These measures are intended to maintain groundwater recharge, reduce peak discharge rates, and minimize alteration of natural drainage patterns. Soils beneath infiltration systems are proposed to be replaced where necessary to ensure appropriate permeability and consistent infiltration performance, further protecting subsurface hydrologic conditions.

Surface water quality impacts are minimized through on-site treatment and infiltration of stormwater runoff, incorporation of pretreatment features to remove sediments and pollutants prior to infiltration, and implementation of soil erosion and sediment control measures during construction. Limiting land disturbance to defined areas and restoring previously disturbed buffer zones further reduces the potential for sediment transport and pollutant loading to adjacent wetlands and downstream surface waters. With implementation of these measures, the project is not anticipated to result in significant adverse impacts to freshwater wetlands, site hydrology, or surface water quality.

No streams or surface water areas are in proximity to the site. The site is not within a flood hazard area.

Potential impacts to freshwater wetlands, site hydrology, and surface water quality are minimized through avoidance, restoration, engineered stormwater controls, and construction best management practices. All permanent improvements are confined outside regulated wetland boundaries and required buffer setbacks, while previously disturbed buffer areas are restored and revegetated in accordance with the approved restoration plan to reestablish native vegetation, improve soil stability, and enhance buffer filtration and habitat functions. Stormwater runoff is managed using a distributed system of porous pavement,