development and stormwater the perils and the promise joe barron, synterra tom keith, arbor...

Development and Development and StormwaterStormwater

The perils and the promiseThe perils and the promise

Joe Barron, SynTerraJoe Barron, SynTerra

Tom Keith, Arbor EngineeringTom Keith, Arbor Engineering

The competing goals of The competing goals of developmentdevelopment

• Meeting the clients needs Meeting the clients needs – Affordable housing or luxury housing, retail Affordable housing or luxury housing, retail

shopping, offices, schools, churchesshopping, offices, schools, churches• Meeting economic realityMeeting economic reality

– Matching pricing of product with cost of land Matching pricing of product with cost of land and developmentand development

• Meeting regulationsMeeting regulations– zoning, traffic, fire, building, handicap, tree, zoning, traffic, fire, building, handicap, tree,

wetlands, stormwater, flood zone, water and wetlands, stormwater, flood zone, water and sewer regulations from local, state, and sewer regulations from local, state, and federal agencies – often conflictingfederal agencies – often conflicting

• Protecting the environmentProtecting the environment– Forests, waters, air qualityForests, waters, air quality

Characteristics of Characteristics of ‘developers’‘developers’

• Generally are risk-takers, but also are Generally are risk-takers, but also are followers of the marketfollowers of the market

• Prefer to work proven techniques and Prefer to work proven techniques and marketable productsmarketable products

• People vote for development with People vote for development with their dollars, successful stores and their dollars, successful stores and projects draw more, if trees sell the projects draw more, if trees sell the product then developers will provide product then developers will provide treestrees

Who is developing?Who is developing?

• Schools, churches, Habitat for Humanity, Schools, churches, Habitat for Humanity, Big Box retailers, small box retail, Big Box retailers, small box retail, restaurants, etc.restaurants, etc.

• Commercial real estate developersCommercial real estate developers• Residential real estate developersResidential real estate developers• Mom & Pop developing the family farm as Mom & Pop developing the family farm as

high land values drive them from farminghigh land values drive them from farming• Managing stormwater is important to each, Managing stormwater is important to each,

but one of many important aspects to their but one of many important aspects to their projectsprojects

Current Development vs Current Development vs Past developmentPast development

• Past:Past:• Large lot subdivisions Large lot subdivisions

low impervious low impervious surface ratiossurface ratios

• Little common area Little common area except for recreationexcept for recreation

• No detention until No detention until 1993 and then case 1993 and then case by caseby case

• Little recognitions of Little recognitions of flood plains until flood plains until 1970s1970s

• CurrentCurrent• High density cluster High density cluster

housing, new housing, new urbanism, higher urbanism, higher percent imperviouspercent impervious

• Large common areas Large common areas for flood plains, for flood plains, recreation, buffers, recreation, buffers, wetlandswetlands

• Detention, water Detention, water quality ponds, quality ponds, erosion controlerosion control

Examples of the new Examples of the new developmentdevelopment

• Acadia residential Acadia residential community between community between Southern connector Southern connector and Saluda Riverand Saluda River

• New Urbanist Village New Urbanist Village – high density in the – high density in the corecore

• Significant common Significant common area for flood plains, area for flood plains, wetlands buffers, wetlands buffers, recreationrecreation

Creative infill solutionsCreative infill solutions

• Sara Collins & Sara Collins & Washington Center Washington Center schoolsschools

• Demo & rebuild in Demo & rebuild in residential residential neighborhood with neighborhood with flooding problemsflooding problems

• Challenges, stormwater, Challenges, stormwater, rock, special needs rock, special needs children aestheticschildren aesthetics

• Solution: under the ball Solution: under the ball field detentionfield detention

I.C.A.R. & Millenium I.C.A.R. & Millenium CampusCampus

• Joint public – private Joint public – private initiative for 400 initiative for 400 acres along I-85acres along I-85

• Major road network, Major road network, bike lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, sidewalks,

• Green campus Green campus emphasis with green emphasis with green belt corridor along belt corridor along the flood plainsthe flood plains

• Single detention Single detention pond for entire pond for entire developmentdevelopment

Clearcutting & Mass Clearcutting & Mass gradinggrading

• A new phenomenon in the up country of SCA new phenomenon in the up country of SC• Cluster developments protect greenways but Cluster developments protect greenways but

cause high density in the uplandscause high density in the uplands• Better to cut trees and grade and plant new Better to cut trees and grade and plant new

more suitable trees after the factmore suitable trees after the fact• Woodland trees have poor survivability in Woodland trees have poor survivability in

dense new urbanism, wind & root damagedense new urbanism, wind & root damage• Protecting the buffers is key to stormwaterProtecting the buffers is key to stormwater

Retrofit existing Retrofit existing

• First Presbyterian First Presbyterian downtown parkingdowntown parking

• Added stormwater Added stormwater filter strips for water filter strips for water quality without curbsquality without curbs

• Criticized by Criticized by arborists and arborists and landscape architectslandscape architects

• No water quality No water quality requirement to requirement to “prove”“prove”

Types of PondsTypes of Ponds

• Clear Cut and Grade Clear Cut and Grade PondPond

• Pond in Natural AreasPond in Natural Areas• Utilization of Wet Utilization of Wet

PondsPonds• Ponds as an AmenityPonds as an Amenity

Typical Design Typical Design

• UtilitarianUtilitarian• Destroys Natural Destroys Natural

VegetationVegetation• Requires Large Requires Large

AreaArea• Requires Fencing Requires Fencing

and More and More MaintenanceMaintenance

Natural Areas Natural Areas

• Wetland Becoming EstablishedWetland Becoming Established• Meadow Becoming EstablishedMeadow Becoming Established• Fence Requirement Distracts From Fence Requirement Distracts From

AmenityAmenity


• Orchard ParkOrchard Park• Green Spaces Green Spaces

LeftLeft• Stream Buffers Stream Buffers

LeftLeft


• Wildlife HabitatWildlife Habitat• Native VegetationNative Vegetation


• Woodlands Re-Woodlands Re-establishingestablishing

• No Maintenance No Maintenance • No FencingNo Fencing


• Dense Vegetation Filters Dense Vegetation Filters Run-offRun-off

• Emergent WetlandsEmergent Wetlands


• Gilder Creek Gilder Creek FarmFarm

• Green Spaces Green Spaces LeftLeft

• Stream Stream Buffers LeftBuffers Left


• Dam Placed Through Wooded AreaDam Placed Through Wooded Area

• Part of Neighborhood Trail SystemPart of Neighborhood Trail System


• Existing Trees Left in Pond Existing Trees Left in Pond AreaArea

• No FencingNo Fencing

Wet Ponds Wet Ponds

• Existing Pond Used for DetentionExisting Pond Used for Detention• No Fencing RequiredNo Fencing Required• Requires Larger Surface AreaRequires Larger Surface Area• Does Not Accommodate First FlushDoes Not Accommodate First Flush

Ponds as Amenities Ponds as Amenities

• Allowed to Allowed to Naturalize (Low Naturalize (Low Maintenance)Maintenance)

• Wildlife HabitatWildlife Habitat• No FencingNo Fencing• Re-established Re-established

WetlandWetland

Sunday Park - Ashton Springs


• Maintained Maintained LandscapeLandscape

• Viewed as an Viewed as an AmenityAmenity

• Fence Fence Requirement Requirement Distracts From Distracts From AmenityAmenity

• Constructed Constructed WetlandWetland

Guardian Corporate Offices


• Riprap Stream Accommodates Pipe Riprap Stream Accommodates Pipe Discharge and 90% of Rain EventsDischarge and 90% of Rain Events

• Balance of Pond is for Heavy Rain EventsBalance of Pond is for Heavy Rain Events

development and stormwater the perils and the promise joe barron, synterra tom keith, arbor...

Documents