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City staff propose KCD-funded green stormwater pilot: 20 rain gardens, $5–10K per site
Summary
Public works staff proposed a green stormwater infrastructure pilot using roughly $130,000 in King Conservation District funds to finance up to 20 residential installations (rain gardens and similar projects) over a 3–5 year window; council members asked about timeline, administrative costs and watershed prioritization.
Lake Forest Park — City stormwater staff asked the council Aug. 12 to approve a pilot that would use King Conservation District (KCD) funds the city holds to finance residential green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects across the city.
Stormwater program coordinator Chris Corwell told the council the program would use about $130,000 banked with KCD and would aim to support roughly 20 projects with at least $5,000 per eligible installation; a $10,000 grant would fully fund a typical rain garden or rainwater collection system. “This pilot project would be possible with funds from King Conservation District. I'm planning to tap into a $130,000 in funds being held by KCD collected from taxpayers in the city and intended for conservation focused projects such as this,” Corwell said.
Corwell explained rain gardens would be the main focus because they provide direct stormwater infiltration benefits; he estimated that 20 rain gardens each collecting runoff from 1,000 square feet of roof area could remove roughly 12,000 gallons in a 1‑inch rain event and about 461,000 gallons of runoff annually. Participating residents would own and maintain the installations, and projects would be vetted to avoid critical areas and prioritize sites with the greatest stormwater benefit.
Council members asked about administrative costs, timeline and whether program eligibility would be restricted to the Lion Creek watershed. Corwell said his time would be covered by his existing position, estimated next-year planning and application rollout, and that the program would consider any city resident though the Lion Creek watershed would be prioritized because of regulatory and ecological permit goals.
Council members also raised contractor vetting, extending to commercial properties, and coordination with a parallel canopy/tree mapping project. Corwell said staff and the city’s tree board were coordinating to avoid conflicting uses of KCD funds and that further design details — including whether to pre-screen contractors — would be developed as the program moves from planning to implementation.
Ending: Council asked follow-up questions about administrative costs and timeline and directed staff to return with more detailed rollout plans and cost-sharing arrangements for a pilot expected to begin implementation planning next year.
