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Richmond board approves preliminary engineering plan for Southview 3‑acre permit
Summary
The Richmond Select Board voted July 22 to approve a preliminary engineering plan by Watershed Consulting to submit for the Southview 3‑acre stormwater permit under Vermont’s Act 64; the plan is a progress submittal to meet grant and state deadlines and can be revised before construction.
The Richmond Select Board on July 22 approved a preliminary engineering plan from Watershed Consulting to satisfy the town’s obligations under the state’s 3‑acre stormwater rule tied to Act 64 and to preserve eligibility for grant funding.
Andres Tereza, the Watershed Consulting engineer who led design work and the neighborhood walkthrough, told residents the plan identifies four underground infiltration chamber locations intended to manage frequent small storms and reduce phosphorus runoff. He said the town needs an administratively complete application in the state portal by the end of September (preferably earlier) to preserve grant funds and to avoid losing the town’s design grant slot.
“It’s not final,” Tereza said of the submission. “We just have to get something in so that the state recognizes the application and your grant eligibility is preserved; there will still be time for technical refinements during the state’s review.”
Why it matters: The state’s 3‑acre program requires certain developed areas to demonstrate treatment of stormwater to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Champlain. For neighborhoods such as Southview, the agency accepts engineering feasibility analyses and progress plans that can be amended during technical review; the board said approving the plan for submission does not commit the town or homeowners to final construction.
Cost and funding: Watershed Consulting provided a preliminary construction-level estimate of roughly $360,000 for the four proposed chamber sites. Tereza said that figure is an early estimate that will be refined with more detailed engineering; the consultancy identified manufacturer pricing and site-installation assumptions as the basis for the number. Town cost‑share scenarios shown to the group included a rough per‑parcel figure in the neighborhood of $48, though select board members emphasized the estimate is preliminary.
Permitting and responsibilities: The town will be the permittee on the notice of intent the board authorized staff to finalize and submit; select board members said they will include language preserving the neighborhood’s input and leave the plan open to revision before any construction step. Board members also said the town’s attorney will be consulted about how the state will treat applications submitted without a formal homeowners association and the division of future financial responsibilities.
What residents pressed for: Neighborhood speakers asked for further technical justification, including whether field runoff studies were performed, how soil and slope data were used, and whether HDPE chambers might leach PFAS. The board and Watershed Consulting said the state’s modeling tools (impervious area + rainfall) are the regulatory basis for design and identified the chamber manufacturer (ADS) for further material information; they also committed to providing photographs, borings, and survey data used in the submission package.
Vote and next step: Select Board member David Sander moved to approve the Watershed Consulting preliminary engineering plan for the Southview 3‑acre permit, with the understanding the plan may be revised as new information becomes available or prior to any additional steps; Adam Wood seconded. The minutes recorded three affirmative votes and the motion carried. Staff said they will finalize the progress plan package and pursue an August/September submission to the state portal.
