Admin Order 58-12-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OVERARCHING THEME OF PUBLIC COMMENT An overarching theme of the comments from the River Road Community Organization (RRCO) and Santa Clara Community Organization (SCCO) is that the basin plan strategies do not address the uniqueness of the basin, reflected in its "heritage trees, waterways, prime soils, agricultural operations, significant populations of both urban and rural and county and city residents" and that the plan misses the mark in prioritizing the protection and enhancement of the basin's existing natural infrastructure [SC -1] While the RR -SC Plan does not go as far, prescriptively, as the community organizations desire, the unique stormwater - related characteristics of the basin were significant factors in the development of strategies for River Road — Santa Clara. The strategies reflected in the basin plan, complimented by city -wide efforts including new initiatives implemented since the 2002 adoption of the other six stormwater basin plans, go a long way towards achieving the desired outcomes we heard expressed by the community groups, and reflect significant accomplishments in moving away from single- focused flood control stormwater management to multiple- objective stormwater management as conveyed in the City's stormwater policies. The mechanisms for achieving the outcomes with respect to development standards are not as prescriptive as the community organization's comments indicate they would like to see, but reflect the City's policy decisions aimed at balancing prescriptive -ness, incentives, and choice. Some factors such as the preservation of heritage trees and the protection of agricultural uses for example simply reside outside of the purview of the basin planning process. We offer the following as examples of stormwater management strategies that address the RR -SC basin's unique characteristics: • New local green street design concepts were developed that utilize rain gardens, surface infiltration, and on -site stormwater management for adjoining properties as opposed to a traditional curb /gutter /piped street improvement. These green street design concepts were developed specifically to address the problems and opportunities related to stormwater management in RR -SC including the lack of a consistent stormwater system, very flat topography, well- draining soils, mixed jurisdictional areas, significant extent of vacant and "underdeveloped" properties, large number of unimproved streets, and federal regulatory limitations on the use of drywells for stormwater destination. Once incorporated into the City's Local Street Plan, these green street design concepts may be used city -wide as appropriate. • Public underground injection controls (UICs), or drywells in RR -SC that do not meet Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, primarily due to the shallow groundwater conditions in the basin, will be replaced, many with vegetated surface infiltration facilities (i.e. rain gardens). s SC = Santa Clara Community Organization comment, on annotated Attachment A. RR -SC Stormwater Basin Plan Comments Pg.2 of 17