Erosion, Sediment and Water Runoff Control Ordinance

The types of activities regulated by existing county / state erosion control and post-construction stormwater standards typically do not take place in the Village.  Specifically, county and state regulations typically apply only to the following:

• Land disturbing activity covering an area equal to or exceeding 4,000 square feet.
• Creation of 20,000 square feet or more of new impervious area.

Since the Village is fully-built and surrounded on all sides by Lake Mendota , the City of Madison and the University of Wisconsin , these regulations are rarely met.

After much discussion, the Village Stormwater Committee and Stakeholder Group recommended that the Village adopt and administer its own erosion control and stormwater ordinance.  It would be applied to the type of land disturbing development activities that commonly occur in the Village. Specifically, the Committee and Group recommended regulating:

• Land disturbing activities covering 500 square feet or more.
• New impervious surface creation of 250 square feet or more.

Part of an approximate $78,000 dollar stormwater grant the Village received from the DNR was used to hire consultants to help draft the ordinance.  The Village will use a tiered approach to stormwater and erosion control regulation.  Under the proposed ordinance, county and state standards apply to sites that meet the aforementioned state and county applicability criteria. Additionally, under the proposed Village ordinance, full erosion requirements apply to all land disturbing activities taking place less than 50 feet upslope from the lake.  Further more, less stringent regulations apply to sites that involve 500 square feet or more of land disturbing activity and / or that result in the creation of 250 square feet or more of new impervious area. These less stringent regulations include creation and implementation of a simplified erosion control plan, attenuation of 20% of suspended solids in runo ff , and infiltration of 90% of rooftop runo ff , to the maxim extent feasible.

Many home remodeling projects that involve additions will fall under these regulations. The Village is now preparing an application manual and simplified instructions on how to comply with the ordinance.  Rain gardens, rain barrels, directing downspouts o ff of impervious areas will all be ways to comply with the new rules.

Here is an interesting project in Portland , Oregon .  They took an existing residential street, and added two curb bump-outs (similar to what is proposed for Shorewood Blvd ).  The two bump-outs were sized to incorporate storm water infiltration.  The pictures make it look quite attractive.

Brian Berquist, Village Engineer

Shortcut to: http://www.asla.org/awards/2007/07winners/506_nna.html