Garner planning panel recommends ZTA 24002 to codify nitrogen-control stormwater rules in UDO

The Garner Planning Commission on March 6 voted 6-0 to recommend approval of Zoning Text Amendment ZTA 24002, a change that would duplicate the town—s existing nitrogen-control stormwater program directly into the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to improve enforceability, Planning staff said.

The amendment consolidates four post-construction requirements already in the town—s nitrogen-control program into the UDO: town inspection and acceptance of new stormwater control measures before turnover to the owner; a recorded operations-and-maintenance (O&M) agreement and memorandum of agreement; annual third-party inspections with reports submitted to the town; and a public access and maintenance easement to allow legal, drivable access to the device for future maintenance.

"The first basically says that when a new stormwater control measure is built with new development, it has to be reviewed, inspected, and accepted by the town, and then will be turned over to the owner for perpetual maintenance," Leah…