Item A: Low Impact Development: Results of Review

Home Browse Search

Many Oregon communities are actively implementing outreach, education and incentive programs to encourage Green Building, sustainability, and low impact development. An example is a region-wide Green Building Hotline provided to the Portland metropolitan area by the new Green Development Resource Center, a collaborative effort between the city of Portland and counties of Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah. Many communities simply provide links to national and state programs that provide tax rebates and credits for purchasing materials that are more energy efficient; a few now offer their own incentives to promote Green Building or LID objectives in their communities, some of which are noted below: Beaverton’s Community Development Department has developed a Habitat Friendly Practices Program that provides an incentive program that provides credits for Habitat Benefit Area Preservation (preservation, enhancement, mitigation, or creation) as well as LID techniques (e.g. additional street canopy, existing canopy preservation, tree migration/preservation, soil amendment, disconnect downspouts, eco-roof, rain garden, roof-top garden, integrated parking). Credits may be applied towards requirements such as building setback building height, minimum floor area, lot dimension, open space, landscape, building footprint. The quality and quantity components of Beaverton’s stormwater SDC is waived with the approved installation of an on-site quality and/or quantity system. A monthly stormwater utility fee is not collected. Bend’s Public Works Department has developed a StormWaterWise public education program. While the city doesn’t currently collect a stormwater SDC, stormwater user fee credits are provided for non 1- and 2- family developments that 1) exceed quantity/quality requirements; 2) treat/dispose of stormwater originating from public R-O-W; 3) provide stormwater education in school curriculums; or 4) participate in a stormwater demonstration project. September, 2008 City of Eugene LID Report, Page 17 of 26