Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Advisory Committee topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Matthews environmental committee details stormwater, waste and tree‑loss concerns in long update
Summary
The Environmental Advisory Committee reported that Matthews is in attainment for air quality but faces local stormwater, tree loss and runoff concerns tied to development; committee members urged better sustainability planning and use of committee expertise for project reviews.
The Environmental Advisory Committee delivered an extended update to the Matthews Board of Commissioners on Aug. 25, outlining local issues from stormwater and septic failures to solid waste diversion rates and tree loss on redevelopment sites.
Committee chair Gordon Miller and committee member David Ross briefed commissioners on a range of environmental subjects and urged more robust sustainability planning and use of the committee’s technical expertise on town projects.
Miller said the community remains in attainment with national air quality standards, a status that avoids “conformity” limits on local growth. But he flagged multiple local problems: a rental property discharging sewage into a yard that resulted in a code violation and fines; North Carolina Department of Transportation work that allowed construction material to enter a storm sewer; and restaurant grease illegally poured into a storm drain that prompted enforcement action.
On solid waste, the committee reported the town services 9,549 households and small businesses and collected nearly 8,000 tons of waste in the fiscal year, with roughly 2,000 tons of recyclables and just under 2,000 tons of yard waste. The town’s diversion rate is about 33 percent; the committee noted a state goal of 40 percent established when the advisory body was formed. Miller said much of the change in the waste stream is driven by the decline of newspapers and other historically recyclable materials.
The committee also described a development review in which residual contamination was flagged during an environmental review and highlighted a pending modification request for 409 West John Street. The committee estimated the proposed site plan would increase hard surface coverage to roughly 80 percent and said a one‑inch storm would generate about 9,000 gallons of runoff from that property — “a small backyard swimming pool,” Miller said — which would need to be managed on site.
Miller urged commissioners to “design around” mature trees when feasible and said the town should consider using the committee’s roughly “100 years of active environmental professional experience” to review environmental documents and impact statements. He criticized narrow definitions of sustainability as limited to planting trees and buying electric vehicles and recommended a more holistic approach that includes stormwater management, tree retention and energy and water conservation measures.
Committee member David Ross described long service on the panel and underscored the committee’s willingness to assist with technical reviews. Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about specific properties and enforcement procedures; Miller and Ross offered examples of fines and compliance steps but said some fines remain unresolved while administrative procedures proceed.
