Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lee County proposes stormwater ordinance change to reduce detention-pond sizes and add exemptions
Summary
County transportation official outlined a proposed text amendment to Lee County Code Title 11 that would change runoff calculations, reduce required detention-pond sizes in rural areas and add exemptions for small developments, single-family homes and some solar farms; the amendment was sent to the planning commission.
Lee County transportation and solid-waste official Dave Anderson told the committee he is pursuing a text amendment to Title 11, Chapter 4 of the Lee County Code to reduce required detention-pond sizes for new development and to formalize some current exemptions.
Anderson said the central change would be to calculate the undeveloped-site release rate using a two-year storm instead of a five-year storm, while continuing to apply the 100-year storm for sizing. “The main thing … is essentially a reduction in the size of the detention ponds that would be required,” Anderson said, describing the proposal as intended for predominantly rural development where large ponds can be excessive.
The change would also codify several exemptions Anderson described as already being treated informally: sites with less than one-quarter acre of new impervious surface (he provided 11,000 square feet as a rounded threshold), single-family residences, and certain solar farms that can demonstrate developed runoff would be less than the existing condition. Anderson said municipalities within 1.5 miles would continue to control projects inside their jurisdictions: “If you’re within a mile and a half of a municipality… the more restrictive would apply.”
The draft would also preserve current practice that agricultural facilities and farming practices remain exempt. Anderson told the committee the proposal grew out of renewed development activity since 2008 and a review of other counties’ rules; he described the draft as trying “to kinda hit the middle of the road.”
Zoning administrator Alice (last name not specified in the record) confirmed the next step would be to forward the text amendment to the county planning commission for public review and comment. Committee members voted to move the petition to the planning commission and place it on the January county board agenda.
The county did not adopt policy at the meeting; members were approving only the referral to planning. The planning commission will receive the draft and hold any public hearings and comments required by county procedures before any final adoption vote by the county board.
