Stormwater Study Group
In response to the two meetings that have been held regarding the stormwater management and permitting issues in Butler Farms and Oak Creek Village, the City and UVM Redesigning the American Neighborhood project have convened a study group of interested residents to work with technical staff from the City and UVM on stormwater design, treatment and management options for the two neighborhoods. The first meeting took place on Sept. 1, 2005.
Throughout the previous meetings, City and RAN personnel heard - loud and clear - that everyone would like to have technically sound, easily understood information on what will be required for the neighborhood to meet State stormwater permit standards, what the options are for achieving those standards, and the total costs of those options.
This study group will work with technical staff and consultants to answer these questions and communicate the results back to the neighborhood. This study group is NOT asked to make recommendations on the political, legal and public finance issues Ð its only goal is to provide "just the facts" on the condition of the stormwater system, the condition of the neighborhood environment and water quality, the options for achieving both permit standards and environmental improvement, and the costs and issues associated with those options.
To achieve this specific and limited goal, the study group will work with technical staff from the City, UVM, and a consulting engineering firm chosen by the Study Group to understand the physical and technical conditions in the neighborhood, such as:
- existing site and soil conditions
- water quality, erosion, and stream buffer conditions on Tributary 7 of Potash Brook (aka "The Ditch")
- the existing stormwater system's engineering and design
- how well the system meets Ð or doesn't meet - the State's permitting standards
- what the options are for achieving these standards Ð including what these options look like, where they would be installed, how they would affect the neighborhood's open spaces, installation costs, and considerations for maintenance, energy, and other "life cycle" costs
Study Group members will meet roughly once a month in the evening for two to three hours from August, 2004 through February, 2005. And while this topic is perhaps not as exciting as the Thursday night offerings on ABC, the members of South Burlington's many special study groups have had a significant influence on City decision-making.
There is NO COST to any resident in the neighborhood for this study group. Costs for reproduction, mailing, consulting engineering services, refreshments, printing, etc. are being paid through two EPA grants to the City that are intended to help citizens become more informed about and involved in decisions as to the types of stormwater management to be used in their neighborhoods.