Stormwater Master Plan Introduction

I. Introduction

The Town of Round Hill is adopting this Stormwater Master Plan to serve as a guide for establishing stormwater management policies, updating related ordinances, and for planning and budgeting required stormwater improvements within the town.

The attached Stormwater Master Plan Draft Report, dated January 20, 2005, prepared by Draper Aden Associates, along with this document, forms the Round Hill Stormwater Master Plan.

II. Goals and Policies

Goal 1: Reduce undesirable accumulations of surface stormwater on roadways, residential yards and within residences by improving the drainage capacity of the stormwater conveyance network without compromising goals for environmental protection and groundwater quality.

Policy 1-1: The Town should pursue stormwater improvements as outlined in the Stormwater Master Plan Draft Report, with modifications as required to meet other goals in this plan, adapt to site limitations, and funding constraints. The Town Council should determine which solution (high-end, low-end, compromise) is best for each project as it is being developed.

Policy 1-2: If a stormwater improvement project will result in significant diversion of stormwater from one natural drainage area to another, the culverts and other drainage paths both inside and outside of town should be reviewed to ensure adequate capacity exists.

Policy 1-3: The Town should explore opportunities for cooperative implementation of necessary public stormwater solutions with planned development activities.

Goal 2: Reduce stormwater loads and impacts on stream corridors, natural drainage channels, wetlands and lakes in order to preserve these features.

Policy 2-1: The Town should require the use of “Low-Impact Stormwater Techniques” in addressing stormwater solutions wherever possible. This includes promoting the use of environmentally friendly building materials and techniques, minimizing or mitigating the amount of land that would be covered by pavement, roofs and other impervious surfaces, and using soil and vegetation to disperse stormwater as appropriate. The Town should require alternatives to dumped rock riprap at pipe outlets.

Policy 2-2: The Town should limit impervious surface areas wherever possible. Parking ratios should be reevaluated based upon national and local experiences, stall sizes should be minimized and lot configurations should be engineered to curb excess paved surfaces. Residential streets should be designed for the minimum required paved width to support the required traffic volume. Alternative turn-arounds instead of cul-de-sacs, and the use of vegetated open channels in street right-of-ways instead of curb and gutter should be considered.

Policy 2-3: The Town should encourage the use of on-site stormwater treatment including vegetated areas, infiltration strips, retention areas and other practices integrated into site plan features such as landscaping and traffic islands. Direct runoff from rooftops or other impervious surfaces into the stormwater conveyance network should be discouraged.

Policy 2-4: The Town should promote the use of pervious materials and systems in parking areas where possible.

Policy 2-5: The Town should explore the possibility of and implement stormwater detention methods within the Town to help minimize the impact of stormwater on receiving streams and other natural areas. The use of detention ponds are to be of a wet type constructed so that they are natural in appearance.

Goal 3: Maintain groundwater recharge and quality, reduce stormwater pollutant loads, protect stream channels and prevent increased over-bank flooding of Sleeter Lake, and provide for a natural and healthy environment.

Policy 3-1: The Town should preserve significant environmental features for park, trail and open space uses, encourage the conservation of significant trees and their under-story vegetation, encourage the planting or protection of trees along public right of way and in other strategic locations, and promote the planting of trees and other vegetation for beautification, air quality, noise control, and stormwater management.

Policy 3-2: The Town should protect and enhance habitat for fish and wildlife, especially within and near streams, wetlands, floodplains, Sleeter Lake and open space. The Town should provide for connected habitat where possible.

Policy 3-3: The Town should preserve the riparian stream buffer or ensure its restoration with native vegetation. The buffer system should be maintained through the plan review delineation, construction, and post-development stages. The Town should require clearing and grading practices to avoid or mitigate any harm to streams, and lakes as well as other critical areas.

Policy 3-4: The Town should enforce local regulations to protect the environment, and update regulations and programs to incorporate environmental guidance from federal, state and county agencies or other reliable sources.

Goal 4: Achieve regional solutions and community involvement in environmental planning and stormwater management

Policy 4-1. The Town should cooperate with nearby communities, regional organizations and agencies to protect the surface and ground water of the Round Hill Area as well as the natural habitat of the streams, lakes and other bodies of water.

Policy 4-2. The Town should promote programs and information to help people learn about and participate in the natural environment.

III. Implementation Guidance

Implementation of the Stormwater Master Plan is expected to be achieved primarily through town-initiated capital improvements, coordination with other federal, state, county and private development activities, and the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

Implementation of the Stormwater Master Plan should be in conjunction, and complementary to, the Town Comprehensive Plan and the Streetscape Master Plan.
The Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance should be reviewed to ensure it provides adequate flexibility to achieve the goals of this master plan, and that it provides adequate mechanisms for obtaining necessary stormwater easements from planned developments.

The subdivision review process should be updated to include a review of whether the proposed subdivision is consistent with the goals and policies of the stormwater master plan, including whether pervious surface treatments have been considered where feasible. Site plan review should consider whether streets, parking areas, setbacks, lot sizes, driveways and sidewalks can be reduced in scale to reduce the relative amount of impervious areas.