Witnesses at Council hearing back broader scope and funding for private-property stormwater rules

Summary

At a New York City Council oversight hearing on stormwater resiliency, environmental groups, design firms and community advocates supported Intro.1352’s goal of managing stormwater from private properties but urged expanding its scope, adding funding, and creating clear retrofit pathways for sites that cannot infiltrate runoff.

Council Member John Gennaro convened a New York City Council hearing on stormwater resiliency in a changing climate where environmental advocates, design professionals and community groups pressed the council and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand the reach of proposed private-property stormwater rules and provide funding for implementation.

“Since Hurricane Ida, stormwater resiliency has become a major concern for New Yorkers in every borough,” said Em Ruby, senior coordinator for advocacy and policy at Riverkeeper. Ruby urged changes to Intro.1352, saying the bill as drafted applies only to residential properties with front yards that are at least 20 percent of the lot, and “leaves out many residential lots that have significant back and side yardage as well as all nonresidential lots, foregoing the opportunity to address some of the largest contributors to stormwater flooding and pollution.”

Riverkeeper recommended the council direct a preliminary mapping of affected lots, review whether zoning rules that require front-yard planting (zoning resolution 23-613) can be updated to include side and rear yards, or else decouple the Intro.1352 requirement from that…

Witnesses at Council hearing back broader scope and funding for private-property stormwater rules

Summary

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