Consultant urges stronger oversight of private stormwater basins; board to consider ordinance and outreach

Steven (Steven Meyer), an environmental scientist with Leon Esovvakian, presented a draft stormwater management plan to the Millstone Township Planning Board and urged the board to strengthen oversight of privately owned stormwater basins.

Meyer told the board that "the privately owned storm water basins are supposed to be inspected on an annual basis by the private land owners" and that "it is the township's responsibility ... to keep track of these records," warning that failure to track and enforce maintenance can lead to township fines under the MS4 permit regime. He recommended the township implement annual mailed notices to basin owners and consider an ordinance imposing fines on owners who do not perform required inspections.

The recommendation was framed as practical compliance advice: Meyer said a program to mail letters and a fines ordinance could reduce the risk that the township itself would be fined by the state for permit violations. He also described existing plan elements: a climate-resiliency assessment, buildout analysis, design and performance standards, green infrastructure strategies, and a mitigation option that would allow off-site remediation within the same subwatershed if applicants cannot meet mitigation criteria.

Board members asked whether the plan could be used in application reviews. Greg Blash — who was introduced earlier in the meeting as an engineer added to an appointment resolution — said the plan "could be a strong recommendation from the planning board" and that once adopted it could be treated as a document applicants must follow in review memos. Meyer and staff agreed the board's input tonight would inform the draft before the plan is transmitted to the township council and county for their actions.

Meyer highlighted several practical incentives and design measures the plan recommends for development applications: cisterns and rain barrels, grass swales and vegetative filter strips, continued use of basins where appropriate, and preserving open space and trees to reduce runoff and pollutant loads. He noted Millstone's low impervious-cover allowances mean pollutant loading remains low even under a theoretical buildout, and he recommended keeping those standards.

Board members also raised local water-quality data: the Environmental Commission's monthly testing of the Millstone River shows recurring phosphate increases each spring. Meyer said he could incorporate that data into the plan if the commission shares it.

The consultant asked that board members email comments; Danielle will distribute the draft. Meyer said the plan can be adopted as an element of the master plan at a later point and that updating local stormwater-control ordinances by the state deadline should be on the township's radar.

The board did not take formal action on the plan at the meeting; the presentation concluded with agreement to circulate the draft and return comments to the consultant for revisions prior to council and county review.