Zoning and Pervious Pavement

19 03 2010

This month, the topic of APA’s Planning Advisory Service’s column, “You Asked, We Answered”, is how zoning codes across the country are handling pervious pavement for parking and sidewalks. The links to the various zoning codes were very useful. The following are excerpts from some of the more interesting ones.

ASHEVILLE, NC

“Porous paving blocks and pervious paving materials are permitted and encouraged as material for parking lots. The use of grass as a parking lot surface is permitted for overflow and intermittent parking. Pervious paving systems are required for parking spaces which exceed the maximum number of spaces required by subsection 7-11-2(c). The use of grass or other vegetation as a parking surface is permitted only for parking spaces which are provided in excess of the maximum number of parking spaces required by subsection 7-11-2(c) or used for intermittent or overflow parking. Parking lots associated with arenas, sporting facilities, amphitheaters, fairgrounds, and religious institutions may, however, use grass or other vegetation for the entire parking lot.”

DOUGLAS COUNTY, MN

Impervious Surface Replacement. Existing properties exceeding the standards for impervious surface coverage present a distinct management challenge from that of newly developed properties and there is a need to establish clear and consistent guidelines for how re-development of these lots may occur.

1. The applicant removes existing impervious surfaces at a ratio of one and one-half (1.5) square feet removed for every one (1) square foot added and restores these areas to a permeable surface…

…a. Permeable pavement systems are encouraged in the management of sites currently over the impervious surface limit and shall be credited as twenty-five (25) percent pervious for these sites when installed according to the requirements of

Section V.L.4.a.(2.)(d.)iii. Applicants are encouraged to replace existing impervious surfaces with natural vegetation at the 1.5 to 1 ratio listed above, however, permeable pavement systems may also be used. In these cases they are to replace existing impervious surfaces at a ratio of at least four (4) square feet converted for every one (1) square foot of new impervious surface being added;

2. The applicant removes existing impervious surfaces at a 1:1 ratio and restores those areas to a permeable surface and in addition, submits a comprehensive stormwater management plan that emphasized infiltration and onsite retention of stormwater for at least the two year 24-hour storm event through a combination of methods including buffer strips, swales, rainwater gardens, permeable pavement systems and other low impact development methods. The stormwater management plan must be designed by a registered engineer or landscape architect and installed as designed by a qualified professional.

a. Permeable pavement systems may be considered as 100% pervious when submitted as part of a stormwater management plan consistent with this section…

FT. WAYNE, IN

If construction techniques such as pervious pavement, block and concrete modular pavers, and grid pavers are used for off-street parking surfaces, each space provided as a result may serve in lieu of two (2) required off-street parking spaces, up to a maximum of 10% of the number of required spaces…

…Paving and drainage. All land which is placed in use for off-street parking and all driveways serving parking, delivery, and loading areas, shall be paved with asphalt, concrete, or other approved all-weather hard surface, including construction techniques such as pervious pavement; block, concrete, and similar modular pavers, and grid pavers; and shall be drained with materials and in a manner which meets the current minimum standards and specifications for parking areas adopted by the Board.

-Brian Phelps



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Ecological Importance of Southeastern Rivers

10 03 2010

Interpretive signs for an upcoming project near the Harpeth River in Williamson County will highlight the ecological significance of the waters of the southeastern United States. If you didn’t know, the rivers and streams of middle Tennessee are part of the most unique and diverse freshwater ecosystem in the entire world. This has to do with a couple things, namely the temperate climate combined with the fact that much of the area was unglaciated, or it as been more geologically stable than other parts of the U.S.

Just to give you an idea the area is home to more than 250 species of crayfish (70% of all the species in the entire U.S.), more than 300 species of mussels (over 1/3 of these live in Tennessee), and more than half the freshwater fish species in the U.S. Because of this great diversity, Tennessee has more freshwater fish that are at-risk than any other state. These species are at-risk largely due to pressures from development practices, which allow sediments and pollutants to wash into our rivers and streams. This and other topics concerning protection of critical watersheds can be found in, Rivers of Life or States of the Union: Ranking America’s Biodiversity, just some of the publications found on the NatureServe’s website.

Graphic from 'Rivers of Life', published by NatureServe

As mentioned in an earlier post, the implementation of ‘green street’ practices on Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville will divert approximately 1.2 million gallons of stormwater a year from the Cumberland River. This is water that would have otherwise run unabated into the river carrying all of the pollutants and sediments from the street. Understanding the significance of the region’s biodiversity is a good reminder of what we are trying to protect when implementing green infrastructure planning and strategies –and why this is especially important here in the Southeast and Middle Tennessee.

-Sara Putney


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Categories : Green Street, Parks & Open Space, Plans and studies, Uncategorized, water issues

Clarifying EPA’s Jurisdiction Under The Clean Water Act

3 03 2010

Supreme Court Building
Credit: istockphoto.com/diademimages

On Monday the New York Times ran an interesting article as a part of their Toxic Waters series. The article titled “Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Foiling E.P.A.” reported on the difficulties regulators are having implementing the intent of the 1972 Clean Water Act. The difficulties stem from the Supreme Court’s decision in 2008 questioning the definition of  “navigable waters” in Rapanos v United States and Carabell v United States Corp of Engineers. The court was split (4-1-4) on whether the wetlands in question were under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act since they were not directly adjacent to a navigable waterway.

The Clean Water Restoration Act (text here) introduced into Congress last year by Senator Russ Fiengold, D-Wisconsin and Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minnesota seeks to clarify this definition. Clarifying the definitions of the EPA’s jurisdiction would facilitate the implementation of the Clean Water Act and allow regulators to make decisions. The bill has passed the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, but has been placed on hold by Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

I am curious about the timing of the NYT article and wonder if there will be any action on the Clean Water Restoration Act in the near future. Obviously, the decision could have a profound impact on the EPA’s jurisdiction.

For more information I came across this analysis of Rapanos v United States and Carabell v United States Corp of Engineers from the Harvard Environmental Law Review. You can also find the EPA’s current clarifications on “Waters of the United States” on their website here.

-Brian Phelps


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Categories : water issues