Item 9: Ordinance Concerning Stormwater Development Standards

Home Browse Search

comments on ~tormwater Development Urdmance and lStormwate Page 1 ot 0 KEPPLER Peggy A Becky Riley [briley@efn.org] Monday, May 22, 20064:50 PM KEPPLER Peggy A WALCH Therese; COREY Kurt A; MUIR Susan L; CARLSON Jim R; TAYLOR DennisM; YEITER Kurt M Subject: Comments on Stormwater Development Ordinance and Stormwater Management Manual From: Sent: To: Cc: May 22, 2006 COMMENTS ON STORMW ATER DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE and STORMW ATER MANAGEMENT MANUAL We, residents and neighborhood leaders from River Road and Santa Clara, appreciate the opportunity to submit additional comments on the Stormwater Development Ordinance and accompanying Stormwater Management Manual. We are glad to see that Eugene is joining the many communities around the country that are adopting development standards that require installation of stormwater flow control and pollution control facilities that mimic natural systems and discharge stormwater close to the source. It is encouraging that the City recognizes the importance of such controls, and the benefits of more naturalistic stormwater systems. This ordinance has enough beneficial aspects that we encourage its adoption as soon as possible. However, there are a number of shortcomings of the ordinance that we hope can be addressed, either in amendments now or later. Several aspects will require more detailed consideration. These shortcomings are: * Too much development is exempted from pollution control provisions--that which adds less than 3000 sq. ft. impervious surface * It fails to recognize and protect existing soils, vegetation, and trees--despite their superior capabilities to store and filter stormwater * It doesn't go far enough to protect existing drainage ways * It fails to take into account the particular needs of the sensitive River Road-Santa Clara Basin and its "natural" drainage system We offer more detailed section-by-section comments below--but a few more general comments first. Eugene Needs to do More to Preserve Natural Hydrology in the Urban Area The Stormwater Management Manual (1.1 Purpose) says: "The purpose of this manual is to provide stormwater management principles and techniques that help preserve or mimic the natural hydrologic cycle and achieve water quality goals." However, the purpose of "preserving" the natural hydrologic cycle is not carried over as policy guidance in the ordinance. It is also barely addressed in the "text of the Manual, which is devoted to describing constructed stormwater "facilities" that mimic natural stormwater systems. The only exceptions are the section offering credits for preservation or planting of trees as an optional "pollution control facility" and the section listing conditions that must be met when drainage ways are filled. Otherwise, protection of soils, trees, vegetation, and drainage way--and their superior infiltration capacity--is ignored. This is a major and 5/23/2006