Tougher standards proposed for Upper Swift Creek Plan
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Page Dowdy/Chesterfield Observer Keeping Swift Creek Reservoir healthy is harder every year as new development increases the phosphorous level. County planners are proposing to raise the environmental standards for both undeveloped land and new development.

County planners are proposing more stringent environmental standards for residential and commercial development around the Swift Creek Reservoir to protect the lake, which provides 25 percent of Chesterfield's drinking water. The higher standards will require "no net increase in phosphorous runoff" from undeveloped land, and all new development would be required not to exceed .16 pounds of phosphorous runoff per acre annually.

About 10 years ago, the county enacted an ordinance that required developers to limit development to .22 pounds of phosphorous per acre per year for residential and .45 pounds for commercial development to keep the in-lake phosphorous below .05 milligrams per liter. The higher standards are necessary because, when already approved developments are built-out, the county estimates it will be 4,000 pounds over the 25,000 pound reservoir annual limit.

"Can commercial development meet that?" asked Bermuda Planning Commissioner Jack Wilson. Commercial development has considerable impervious surfaces - parking lots and rooftops - that create more runoff than residential.

Environmental engineers proposed several amendments to the commission to limit runoff. The .16 level would be the new standard in the watershed, but some developments already rezoned may be subject to less restrictive standards because of specific conditions in their zoning or already having received approval of their site or subdivision plans.

Planning Commission Chairman Dan Gecker pressed the environmental engineering staff and consultant CH2MHill about how less dense developments might have to be to meet the proposed standard. There was no direct answer.

"You have to sacrifice something - the reservoir or less density," said Tim Hare of CH2MHill.

In order to meet the proposed standards, residential lot sizes could get smaller to create more open space, and homes with two or more stories might be favored because the amount of rooftop would be less than the same square footage on one floor. Rooftop rain from downspouts would be redirected away from streets to areas where it could penetrate the soil.

Curb and gutter streets would be out in favor of natural grass ditches along neighborhood streets. Sidewalks would be less likely because of runoff. Gecker objected, saying sidewalks connect neighborhoods and perhaps the sidewalks could be tilted to drain away from the streets.

Environmental engineers want an education plan for citizens, hoping for their cooperation to lower phosphorous runoff. Retrofitting some BMPs (ponds that collect runoff) might be possible in some older neighborhoods.

Brandermill, first built in 1974 with many natural yards, was cited by Environmental Engineering Director Dick McElfesh as a model, but later homes there in the 1980s had more traditional grass yards.

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will hold two community meetings to inform citizens how the county plans to protect the reservoir from too much phosphorous. They will be held at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on July 12 at the Mount Hermon Baptist Church, 18100 Genito Rd. On July 19 in the public meeting room, the commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed Upper Swift Creek Plan.

Last month, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors gave the commission an extra 60 days to review the plan, hold community meetings and another public hearing before making a recommendation to the board. The watershed area includes 65 square miles that extends into Powhatan County.

More public access

Meetings of the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors and School Board will be streaming live on a computer near you next year. Those meetings will also be archived.

The meetings will continue to be broadcast live on cable channel 17 and rebroadcast on later dates. In comparison, Henrico County does not televise its meetings.

Parking ordinance

Clover Hill Planning Commissioner Russ Gulley wants the county to review a possible ordinance that would prohibit parking vehicles on the grass of front yards. He said he was hearing more complaints, particularly from neighborhoods that do not have community covenants.

Commission attorney Rob Robinson called a possible ordinance "legally workable," but was concerned about enforcement. Violators usually have 10 days to correct the violation, which would mean simply moving a vehicle off the grass.

Higher planning fees

County staff hopes to meet with members of the development community soon to discuss higher planning fees. Potential committee members are being contacted about meeting dates.

Assistant Planning Director Glenn Larson said the number of plan reviews and their complexity is increasing. The higher fees will pay for two additional staff members. Larson said the development fee categories were being simplified as part of an overall review.