Item A: Low Impact Development: Results of Review

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Overview & Executive Summary In early 2007 the Eugene City Council directed a review of the City’s implementation of Low Impact Development (LID) practices. The focus of the comprehensive review was to identify barriers and regulatory or incentive-based approaches to increase the use of low-impact development practices for stormwater management. The original impetus for this review was public comment related to the City’s adoption of stormwater development standards within the land use code. For purposes of the review, Low Impact Development was defined as: A stormwater management and site development strategy that emphasizes use of on-site natural features to mitigate impacts of increased stormwater runoff and pollution. This is achieved by using stormwater management practices and site design techniques that infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate, reduce and detain runoff close to its source. Completion of this review was added to City’s Stormwater Management Team and Planning Division work plans for FY08 and completed by an interdisciplinary staff team. The review team identified areas of regulation and programs with strong relevance to LID objectives and elements, identified the extent to which existing regulations and programs already implemented LID practices, and then identified the potential opportunities and barriers to increase use of LID practices. Resulting findings of review and options for increasing use of LID practices are included in report. Key findings include: The City has adopted and implemented a broad spectrum of policies, plans, regulations, standards and programs which promote to the use of LID practices. While the degree of the City’s existing LID implementation is substantial, a variety of potential opportunities exist to increase use of LID.Primary options for increasing the use of LID practices for stormwater management include: Potential land use code amendments in the areas of stormwater development standards, lot coverage with impervious areas, existing landscape & tree preservation, and waterway protection; Continued implementation of green building and stormwater education programs; Modifications to public improvement design standards and manuals; Development and enhancement of incentive programs. Modest incentives for increasing LID practices currently exist; more substantive incentives may be feasible with commitment of additional resources. Barriers to increasing use of LID practices include competing demands for resources, complexities of implementing changes to regulations and existing programs, and challenges to balancing and integrating LID objectives with other City initiatives and priorities. Table A on page 5 summarizes regulatory and program areas which review found to have moderate to high potential to increase use of LID practices for stormwater management. This report is to be presented to City Council for consideration of options to increase the use of LID practices in the community. September, 2008 City of Eugene LID Report, Page 1 of 26