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Martin's Additions task force backs Bayland stormwater plan, identifies 10 priority flood sites and funding paths
Summary
Consultants presented a 59‑page Bayland report identifying 10 high-priority flood areas in Martin's Additions and recommending pipe upgrades, a step-pool stabilization at Delfield Ditch, green‑infrastructure measures, code updates and multiple grant and fee-based funding options; the task force will submit the final report to the council in April for further action.
Mark, chair of the Martin's Additions stormwater task force, opened the meeting by saying the group will submit a final report to the village council in April and that the task force’s formal authority will end after submission.
Consultant Megan Barnet, senior project manager at Bayland, summarized the firm’s methods and findings, explaining that the team reviewed village files, conducted field drainage assessments and critical elevation surveys, and ran hydrologic and hydraulic models for 1-, 10- and 100-year storms. Barnet said the modeling shows southern parts of the village, including Taylor Street and several low intersections, have undersized pipe systems that surcharge in the 10-year design storm.
"We defined low as less than $150,000 to implement," Barnet said while describing the conceptual cost bands used to prioritize projects; she added that larger pipe upgrades can exceed $550,000 and that some sites require easements or complex permitting.
Bayland identified 10 high-priority areas for targeted remediation — including Oxford & Quincy, Brookfield & Bradley, Raymond Street, Shepherd Street, Turner Lane, Taylor Street, the inlet at 348 Thornapple, and the Delfield Ditch — and proposed area-specific solutions such as upsizing storm drains, adding curb-and-inlet street conveyance where none exists, and a step-pool storm conveyance system in the Delfield Ditch to stabilize channel erosion.
Barnet described village-wide measures as well: parcel-level green infrastructure (rain gardens, dry wells, backwater collection), code and ordinance updates (technical review, bonding and inspections, development standards), and community education and outreach programs tied to county rainscape grants and similar initiatives. She outlined funding options that include the Maryland Department of the Environment Comprehensive Flood Management grant program, the Chesapeake Bay Trust (especially for green and stream-stabilization work), NRCS programs, Emergency Watershed Protection, municipal bonds or loans, and the possibility of a stormwater utility fee based on impervious area.
Residents and council members pressed the consultants on implementation, jurisdiction and timing. Resident Marty Langland praised the report and asked about incentives for uphill property owners and protections for mature trees; she urged the task force and council to consider code changes to protect canopy trees and to explore incentive programs. "I’m really asking the council and Bayland to look at all the possible incentives we can give people to pull this community together to solve it together," Langland said.
Resident David Salter, whose property is near the Brookfield & Bradley intersection identified as a priority site, asked whether the village would be responsible when runoff originates on the Chevy Chase Village side; Barnet and the task force said regional collaboration with neighboring municipalities and the county would be needed for sites spanning jurisdictional boundaries.
Mark also raised concerns about county enforcement for certain stormwater waivers, telling the meeting that county reviewers have been granting many waivers and that the village cannot rely solely on county enforcement; he said the task force will recommend steps the council can pursue. That claim about frequent waivers was raised for the record and was not resolved during the meeting.
Bayland warned large infrastructure projects are multi‑year efforts: design and permitting can take roughly a year, construction longer depending on project length and permitting, and grant application cycles can add months to a year between submission and receipt of funds.
Next steps: the task force will incorporate public feedback into the final report and prepare a cover letter and action plan for the council’s April meeting; the task force’s authority will terminate after submission, and further implementation would be the council’s responsibility, possibly in partnership with neighboring towns or county agencies.
Minutes and adjournment: the task force unanimously approved the January 21 minutes at the start of the meeting and later unanimously approved a motion to adjourn.
