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Lebanon adopts updated Stormwater Management ordinance to meet NJDEP Tier A requirements
Summary
The Township Committee adopted substantial amendments to Article XXIII (§330-49A–M) on stormwater management to comply with NJDEP Tier A rules, adding green infrastructure standards, groundwater recharge and TSS limits for motor‑vehicle surfaces; amendments were adopted unanimously.
Lebanon Township on June 10 adopted extensive amendments to its Stormwater Management ordinance to comply with its reclassification to NJDEP Tier A.
The revised Article XXIII (§330‑49A through §330‑49M) replaces the township’s prior stormwater rules with a detailed set of design and performance standards aligned to the NJ Stormwater Management Rules (N.J.A.C. 7:8-). Key elements added or clarified in the adopted ordinance include: a policy statement prioritizing green infrastructure (GI) and low‑impact development; explicit groundwater recharge standards requiring retention or infiltration of the water‑quality design storm; total suspended solids (TSS) removal targets for new or reconstructed motor‑vehicle surfaces (95% within 300‑foot riparian zones; 80% elsewhere, with an alternative 50% minimum where right‑of‑way acquisition is infeasible); and maintenance, deed‑notice and inspection requirements.
The text incorporates tables of presumed BMP performance (bioretention, pervious pavement, sand filters, wet ponds, etc.), procedures for waivers or alternatives, and requirements for municipal projects and public road/rail projects to utilize GI where practicable. The ordinance also sets hydrograph/peak‑flow tests and gives the engineering standards to be used (NRCS/TR‑55 runoff methods; GSR‑32 for recharge calculations) and references future precipitation change factors for design storms by county.
Township Attorney Mark Roselli said the ordinance amendments reflect required changes after the township was moved from NJDEP Tier B to Tier A. The committee voted unanimously to adopt the amendments. Mr. Roselli also noted the Planning Board and Hunterdon County Planning Board comments were considered in the revisions.
Why it matters: The ordinance updates municipal rules that govern how major development manages stormwater runoff, groundwater recharge and water‑quality treatment. The TSS and recharge provisions, along with deed‑notice and maintenance provisions, change design expectations for developers and public projects in the township.
Implementation and next steps: The Township Clerk will file the adopted ordinance and submit required certifications and any alternative BMP approvals to the NJDEP as specified; planning and permit applicants should expect the updated standards to apply to major development after the effective date.
