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Commission considers testing protocol for pervious pavers, enforcement tied to variances
Summary
Staff and commissioners debated whether pervious pavers should count toward impervious-surface limits and whether the city should adopt routine testing; staff described a simple in‑house infiltration test and said enforcement for noncompliance could involve rescinding variances.
Commissioners and staff discussed how pervious pavers affect impervious-surface calculations and whether the city should test paver installations on a regular cadence. Staff explained that pervious pavers can reduce the effective impervious coverage for a parcel up to the 25% threshold but that the variance process still applies when the threshold is exceeded; staff said the city has not historically tested pavers but is considering instituting scheduled tests and compliance checks.
On how tests would work, staff described an in‑house method: "you cut the bottom of a bucket out, you put 3 inches of water in, you time how fast it goes, it takes 2 minutes and you're saying, yep, you're in compliance or no we're not," a planner said. The commission discussed enforcement options if pavers fail to perform, including cleaning and remediation requirements or cancellation of a variance if conditions are unmet; staff noted enforcement is challenging and that removing a permit or variance can create difficult remediation questions for the city.
