MANAGING WET WEATHER
WITH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
WATER QUALITY SCORECARD
INCORPORATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES
AT THE MUNICIPAL, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SITE SCALES
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Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure
Municipal Handbook
Water Quality Scorecard
The Municipal Handbook is a series of documents
to help local officials implement green infrastructure in their communities.
August 2009
EPA- 833-B-09-004
Front Cover Photos
Top: rain garden; permeable pavers; rain barrel; planter; tree boxes.
Large photo: green roof on Friends Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WATER QUALITY SCORECARD
INCORPORATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES AT THE
MUNICIPAL, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SITE SCALES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
BACKGROUND 1
THE WATER QUALITY SCORECARD 4
How TO USE THE SCORECARD 4
A NOTE ABOUT THE POINT SYSTEM 6
TIPS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STORMWATER MANAGERS, LAND USE
PLANNERS, AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS 7
TABLE 1: WATER QUALITY SCORECARD QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE 8
GETTING STARTED 11
SECTION 1: PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES (INCLUDING TREES) AND OPEN SPACE 12
RESOURCES 21
CASE STUDIES 22
SECTION 2: PROMOTE EFFICIENT, COMPACT DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS AND INFILL 24
RESOURCES 29
CASE STUDIES 30
SECTION 3: DESIGN COMPLETE, SMART STREETS THAT REDUCE OVERALL
IMPERVIOUSNESS 31
RESOURCES 37
CASE STUDIES 38
SECTION 4: ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT PARKING 39
RESOURCES 44
CASE STUDIES 45
SECTION 5: ADOPT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS 46
RESOURCES 51
CASE STUDIES 52
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 54
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Executive Summary
Many communities across the United States face the challenge of balancing water quality protection with
the desire to accommodate new growth and development. These cities and counties are finding that a
review of local ordinances beyond just stormwater regulations is necessary to remove barriers and ensure
coordination across all development codes for better stormwater management and watershed protection.
Local policies, such as landscaping and parking requirements or street design criteria, should complement
strong stormwater standards and make it easier for developers to meet multiple requirements
simultaneously.
EPA's Water Quality Scorecard was developed to help local governments identify opportunities to
remove barriers, and revise and create codes, ordinances, and incentives for better water quality
protection. It guides municipal staff through a review of relevant local codes and ordinances, across
multiple municipal departments and at the three scales within the jurisdiction of a local government
(municipality, neighborhood, and site),1 to ensure that these codes work together to protect water quality
goals. The two main goals of this tool are to: (1) help communities protect water quality by identifying
ways to reduce the amount of stormwater flows in a community and (2) educate stakeholders on the wide
range of policies and regulations that have water quality implications.
The scorecard is for municipalities of various sizes in rural, suburban, and urban settings, including those
that have combined sewers, municipal separate storm sewers, and those with limited or no existing
stormwater infrastructure. It can help municipal staff, stormwater managers, planners, and other
stakeholders to understand better where a municipality's2 land development regulations and other
ordinances may present barriers or opportunities to implementing a comprehensive water quality
protection approach. The scorecard provides policy options, resources, and case studies to help
communities develop a comprehensive water quality program.
Background
Growth and development expand communities' opportunities by bringing in new residents, businesses,
and investments. Growth can give a community the resources to revitalize a downtown, refurbish a main
street, build new schools, and develop vibrant places to live, work, shop, and play. The environmental
impacts of development, however, can make it more difficult for communities to protect their natural
resources. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will reach 400 million people by
about 2040, which will add continued development pressure on local communities and the environment.
Many communities are asking where and how they can accommodate this growth while maintaining and
improving their water resources.
Land development directly affects watershed functions. When development occurs in previously
undeveloped areas, the resulting alterations to the land can dramatically change the transportation and
1 While the watershed scale is the best scale at which to look regionally at water quality protection strategies, it can
be difficult to align policies, incentives, and regulations across political boundaries. For purposes of implementation,
the largest scale the scorecard uses is the municipality.
2 The term "municipality" as used by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) refers to local
government at both the city and county levels.
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storage of water. Residential and commercial development create impervious surfaces and compacted
soils that filter less water, which increases surface runoff and decreases groundwater infiltration. These
changes can increase the volume and velocity of runoff, the frequency and severity of flooding, and peak
storm flows.
Many communities are already struggling with degraded water bodies and failing infrastructure. For
example, EPA 's National Water Quality Inventory: 1996 Report to Congress indicated that 36 percent of
total river miles assessed were impaired.3 In EPA's 2004 Report to Congress, that percentage increased
to 44 percent.4 Further, a report by the National Academy of Sciences found urban stormwater is
estimated to be the primary source of impairment for 13 percent of assessed rivers, 18 percent of lakes,
and 32 percent of estuariessignificant numbers given that urban areas cover only 3 percent of the land
mass of the United States.5
Urban runoff also affects existing wastewater and drinking water systems. EPA estimates that between
23,000 and 75,000 sanitary sewer overflows occur each year in the United States, releasing between 3 and
10 billion gallons of sewage annually.6 Many of these overflow problems stem from poor stormwater
management. Many municipalitiesboth large and smallmust address the impact of existing
impervious areas, such as parking lots, buildings, and streets and roads, that have limited or no
stormwater management while at the same time trying to find effective and appropriate solutions for new
development.
These water quality impairments exist, in part, because historically stormwater managementand indeed
stormwater regulationhas focused primarily at the site level. The reasoning was that if one managed
stormwater correctly at the site, then the protection of the community's water bodies occurred. However,
as the findings of EPA's National Water Quality Inventory demonstrated, this strategy has not been as
effective for two main reasons.
First, the site-level approach does not take into account the amount of off-site impervious surfaces.
During the development boom from 1995-2005, rain-absorbing landscapes, such as forests, wetlands, and
meadows, were transformed into large areas of houses, roads, office buildings, and retail centers. This
development created vast areas of impervious cover, which generated significant increases in stormwater
runoff. However, the amount of development in the watershed is not simply the sum of the sites within it.
Rather, total impervious area in a watershed is the sum of sites developed plus the impervious surface of
associated infrastructure supporting those sites, such as roads and parking lots.
Second, federal stormwater regulations focus on reducing pollutants in the runoffthe sediments from
roads, fertilizers from lawns, etc.and not on the amount of stormwater coming from a site.
Nevertheless, the increased volume of runoff coming into a municipality's water bodies scours streams,
dumps sediments, and pushes existing infrastructure past its capacity limits. Failure to consider the
cumulative impactthis loss of natural land, increased imperviousness, and resulting stormwater runoff
volumes on regional water quality and watershed health has led communities to seek stormwater
solutions that look beyond site-level approaches.
3 U.S. EPA National Water Quality Inventory: 1996 Report to Congress:
http://www.epa.gov/305b/96report/index.html
4 U.S. EPA National Water Quality Inventory: 2004 Report to Congress:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/305b/2004report/
5 Urban Stormwater Management in the United States, National Research Council of the National Academy of
Sciences, 2008: http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/stormwater_discharge_fmal.pdf
6 U.S. EPA National Water Quality Inventory: 2004 Report to Congress:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/305b/2004report/
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Communities are recognizing the importance of managing water quality impacts of development at a
variety of scales, including the municipal, the neighborhood, and site levels. A range of planning and
development strategies at the municipal and neighborhood scales are necessary to address stormwater
management comprehensively and systematically. At the same time that stormwater management is
moving beyond the site level, it is also evolving beyond hardscaped, engineered solutions, such as basins
and curb-and-gutter conveyance, to an approach that manages stormwater through natural processes.
A green infrastructure approach provides a solution to thinking at all 3 scales as well as how to change the
specific types of practices used on the site.. Green infrastructure is a comprehensive approach to water
quality protection defined by a range of natural and built systems that can occur at the regional,
community, and site scales. At the larger regional or watershed scale, green infrastructure is the
interconnected network of preserved or restored natural lands and waters that provide essential
environmental functions. Large-scale green infrastructure may include habitat corridors and water
resource protection. At the community and neighborhood scale, green infrastructure incorporates planning
and design approaches such as compact, mixed-use development, parking reductions strategies and urban
forestry that reduces impervious surfaces and creates walkable, attractive communities. At the site scale,
green infrastructure mimics natural systems by absorbing stormwater back into the ground (infiltration),
using trees and other natural vegetation to convert it to water vapor (evapotranspiration), and using rain
barrels or cisterns to capture and reuse stormwater. These natural processes manage stormwater runoff in
a way that maintains or restores the site's natural hydrology.
At the municipal scale, decisions about where and how our towns, cities, and regions grow are the first,
and perhaps most important, development decisions related to water quality. Preserving and restoring
natural landscape features (such as forests, floodplains, and wetlands) are critical components of green
infrastructure. By choosing not to develop on and thereby protecting these ecologically sensitive areas,
communities can improve water quality while providing wildlife habitat and opportunities for outdoor
recreation. In addition, using land more efficiently reduces and better manages stormwater runoff by
reducing total impervious areas. Perhaps the single most effective strategy for efficient land use is
redevelopment of already degraded sites, such as abandoned shopping centers or underused parking lots,
rather than paving greenfield sites.
At the intermediate or neighborhood scale, green infrastructure includes planning and design approaches
such as compact, mixed-use development, narrowing streets and roads, parking reduction strategies, and
urban forestry that reduce impervious surfaces and better integrate the natural and the built environment.
At the site scale, green infrastructure practices include rain gardens, porous pavements, green roofs,
infiltration planters, trees and tree boxes, and rainwater harvesting for non-potable uses such as toilet
flushing and landscape irrigation. These processes represent a new approach to stormwater management
that is not only sustainable and environmentally friendly, but cost-effective as well.
Municipalities are realizing that green infrastructure can be a solution to the many and increasing water-
related challenges facing municipalities, including flood control, combined sewer overflows, Clean Water
Act requirements, and basic asset management of publicly owned treatment systems. Communities need
new solutions and strategies to ensure that they can continue to grow while maintaining and improving
their water resources. This Water Quality Scorecard seeks to provide the policy tools, resources, and case
studies to both accommodate growth and protect water resources.
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The Water Quality Scorecard
EPA worked with numerous water quality experts, local government staff, developers, urban designers,
and others working on land use and water quality issues to develop this Water Quality Scorecard. The
purpose of the scorecard is to address water quality protection across multiple scales (municipality,
neighborhood, and site) and across multiple municipal departments. This scorecard can help municipal
staff, stormwater managers, planners, and other stakeholders to understand better where a municipality's
land development regulations and other ordinances may present barriers or opportunities to implementing
a comprehensive green infrastructure approach. The tool's two main goals are to: (1) help communities
protect water quality by identifying ways to reduce the amount of stormwater flows in a community and
(2) educate stakeholders on the wide range of policies and regulations that have water quality
implications.
Communities throughout the U.S. are implementing stormwater regulations that require or encourage the
use of green infrastructure for managing stormwater on site. These cities and counties are finding that, to
better manage stormwater and protect watersheds, green infrastructure policies require a review of many
other local ordinances to remove barriers and ensure coordination across all development codes. Local
policies, such as landscaping and parking requirements or street design criteria, should complement
strong stormwater standards and make it easier for developers to meet multiple requirements
simultaneously. At the same time, if these policies support water quality goals, they can independently
reduce and better manage stormwater runoff.
How TO USE THE SCORECARD
This scorecard is a locally controlled self-assessment and guide for better incorporating green
infrastructure practices at the municipal, neighborhood, and site scales. While one department or agency
could complete the tool, the effectiveness of this tool will increase if an interagency process is established
to review all local codes and policies that might affect water quality.
Completing the Water Quality Scorecard requires different documents, plans, codes, and guidance
manuals. While the legal structure for stormwater management and land development regulation varies
among municipalities, the following list contains the most common and relevant documents to complete
this scorecard and describes how they can create impervious cover.
Zoning ordinances specify the type and intensity of land uses allowed on a given parcel. A zoning
ordinance can dictate single-use low-density zoning, which spreads development throughout the
watershed, creating considerable excess impervious surface.
Subdivision codes or ordinances specify development elements for a parcel: housing footprint
minimums, distance from the house to the road, the width of the road, street configuration, open
space requirements, and lot sizeall of which can lead to excess impervious cover.
Street standards or road design guidelines dictate the width of the road, turning radius, street
connectivity, and intersection design requirements. Often in new subdivisions, roads tend to be too
wide, which creates excess impervious cover.
Parking requirements generally set the minimum, not the maximum, number of parking spaces
required for retail and office parking. Setting minimums leads to parking lots designed for peak
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demand periods, such as the day after Thanksgiving, which can create acres of unused pavement
during the rest of the year.
Setbacks define the distance between a building and the right-of-way or lot line and can spread
development out by leading to longer driveways and larger lots. Establishing maximum setback
lines for residential and retail development will bring buildings closer to the street, reducing
impervious cover associated with long driveways, walkways, and parking lots.
Height limitations limit the number of floors in a building. Limiting height can spread development
out if square footage is unmet by vertical density.
Open space or natural resource plans detail land parcels that are or will be set aside for recreation,
habitat corridors, or preservation. These plans help communities prioritize their conservation,
parks, and recreation goals.
Comprehensive plans may be required by state law, and many cities, towns, and counties prepare
comprehensive plans to support zoning codes. Most comprehensive plans include elements
addressing land use, open space, natural resource protection, transportation, economic
development, and housing, all of which are important to watershed protection. Increasingly, local
governments are defining existing green infrastructure and outlining opportunities to add new
green infrastructure throughout the community.
An initial step in using this tool is to convene appropriate staff to review various sections of the tool and
coordinate to both identify opportunities for change and address the potential inconsistencies between
policies. The approaches described in this scorecard may be under the control of a number of different
local government agencies, including:
Parks and Recreation
Public Works
Planning
Environmental Protection
Utilities
Transportation
The scorecard's review of land use and development policies provides guidance for implementing a range
of regulatory and non-regulatory approaches, including land use planning elements, land acquisition
efforts, and capital investment policies that can help various municipal agencies integrate green
infrastructure into their programs. Internal agency policies and practices, such as maintenance protocols
or plan review processes, may be potential barriers as well.
Each policy or approach is described in the context of its potential for providing water quality benefits,
although most of the policies have many additional benefits for community livability, human health, air
quality, energy use, wildlife habitat, and more. This tool does not provide model ordinance language. It
emphasizes best practices and helps municipalities understand the incremental steps for changing specific
policies and internal agency practices. The scorecard divides the tools and policies into four categories:
1. Adopt plans
2. Remove barriers
3. Adopt incentives
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4. Enact regulations
These four categories provide greater structure to the compiled tools by organizing the policies or
approaches as incremental changes and updates. These categories may help municipal staff prioritize
which tools to work on based on local factors like resources, time, and political support. For example, an
appropriate first step in the process of updating local regulations may be to remove a barrier rather than
enacting a new regulation. Most policy options avoid specific performance guidance so that the tool is
useful to a range of municipalities in different contexts. However, the case studies and resources provide
locally appropriate performance measures where possible.
To highlight the diverse nature of green infrastructure approaches, as well as the fact that oversight over
these policies resides in various municipal agencies, the scorecard has five sections:
1. Protect Natural Resources (Including Trees) and Open Space
2. Promote Efficient, Compact Development Patterns and Infill
3. Design Complete, Smart Streets that Reduce Overall Imperviousness
4. Encourage Efficient Provision of Parking
5. Adopt Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Provisions
The five sections organize green infrastructure approaches based on drivers of impervious cover at the
municipal, neighborhood, and site scales. Yet all three scales may be in any single section. For example,
the parking section will have questions that address the municipal, neighborhood and site level
considerations.
The scorecard describes alternative policy or ordinance information that, when implemented, would
support a comprehensive green infrastructure approach, and will allow the municipality to determine
where, in the broad spectrum of policy implementation, their policies fall.
A NOTE ABOUT THE POINT SYSTEM
The tool includes a point system to make it easier to evaluate and improve local programs. The
municipality can decide whether to use the point system at all. If the point system is used, municipalities
can set locally appropriate thresholds and goals.
Governments could choose to use the point system in many different ways, including:
State governments could require municipalities to complete the Water Quality Scorecard and
establish measures for improvement over different permit cycles. For example, a municipality
might have to improve its score by some number of points before the next permit cycle.
Local governments could determine a score based on existing programs and policies and then set
goals from this baseline. Local targets may include incremental yearly improvements or
achieving additional points in a particular section, such as "Encourage Efficient Parking Supply"
or "Protect Natural Resources and Open Space."
Stakeholders such as watershed groups or environmental organizations could complete the
scorecard and then provide feedback and information assistance to the local government about
sections within the scorecard that received few points and might be an area for improvement.
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The total score or scores in certain sections could educate elected officials, decision makers, and
others about the importance of these issues and the role of local policies in addressing them.
A lack of points in one section may alert a municipality that a certain area, such as parking, lacks
local ordinances that support green infrastructure and may be ripe for improvement.
Variation in the number of points achieved across the five sections may help a municipality to
belter assess local sources of impervious cover and potential for the introduction of green
infrastructure.
Because the scorecard is for use by a range of community types and sizes in locations throughout the
U.S., please note that no single municipality will be able to receive every point. Some questions and
points may only be available to urban municipalities while others may only be available to those in a
suburban or rural setting.
TIPS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STORMWATER MANAGERS, LAND USE
PLANNERS, AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS
Effective stormwater management requires coordination and collaboration across many different
municipal departments and processes. Below are some ideas for incorporating stormwater management in
traditional planning processes and programs.
Include both land use planners and stormwater managers in pre-concept and/or pre-application
meetings for potential development projects.
Use local government sites (e.g., schools, regional parks, office buildings, public works yards) as
demonstration projects for innovative land use strategies and stormwater management. Form a
team that includes land use planners, stormwater managers, parks and school officials, etc. to
work out the details.
Include stormwater managers in the comprehensive plan process to incorporate overall watershed
and stormwater goals.
Make sure that both land use planners and stormwater managers are involved in utility and
transportation master planning.
Allow stormwater managers to be involved in economic development planning, especially for
enterprise zones, Main Street projects, and other projects that involve infill and redevelopment.
Encourage stormwater managers to develop efficient watershed-based solutions for these plans.
Develop cross training and joint activities that allow land use planners, stormwater managers, and
transportation, utility, and capital projects planners to explore the improved integration of various
land use and stormwater processes.
Hold staff trainings with speakers that are knowledgeable about smart growth and stormwater
management. Alternately, encourage land use planners, stormwater managers, and other local
officials to attend trainings on this topic as a team.
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TABLE 1: WATER QUALITY SCORECARD QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
INCORPORATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES AT
THE MUNICIPAL, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SITE SCALES
SUMMARY
Policy Question
Goal
PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES (INCLUDING TREES) AND OPEN SPACE
1A.
IB.
1C.
Natural Resource Protection
Are development policies, regulations, and
incentives in place to protect natural
resource areas and critical habitat?
Are no-development buffer zones and other
protective tools in place around wetlands,
riparian areas, and floodplains to
improve/protect water quality?
Does the community have protection
measures for source water protection areas
through land use controls and stewardship
activities?
Protect natural resource areas (e.g., forests, prairies) and
critical habitat (e.g., conservation corridors, buffer zones,
wildlife preserves) from future development.
Protect critical areas such as wetlands, floodplains, lakes,
rivers, and estuaries with a mandatory no-development
buffer.
Protect source water areas from current or potential sources
of contamination.
Open Space Protection
Does the jurisdiction have adequate open
space in both developed and greenfield areas
of the community?
Create open networks throughout a community that serve a
dual function of providing recreational areas and assisting
in management of stormwater runoff.
Tree Preservation
Does the local government have a
comprehensive public urban forestry
program?
Has the community taken steps to protect
trees on private property?
Do local codes encourage or require street
trees as part of road and public right-of-way
capital improvement projects?
Protect and maintain trees on public property and rights -of-
way and plant additional trees to enhance the urban tree
canopy.
Preserve trees on private property and require replacement
when trees are removed or damaged during development.
Leverage existing capital funds to plant more street trees
and add multiple benefits to the public right-of-way.
PROMOTE EFFICIENT, COMPACT DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS AND INFILL
2A.
2B.
2C.
Infill and Redevelopment
Are policy incentives in place to direct
development to previously developed areas?
Municipalities implement a range of policies and tools to
direct development to specific areas.
Development in Areas with Existing Infrastructure
Is the jurisdiction directing growth to areas
with existing infrastructure, such as sewer,
water, and roads?
Adopt policies, incentives, and regulations to direct new
development to areas that have infrastructure, such as water
and sewer.
Mixed-Use Development
Are mixed-use and transit-oriented
developments allowed or encouraged?
Revise codes and ordinances to allow for the "by right"
building of mixed-use and transit-oriented developments.
DESIGN COMPLETE, SMART STREETS THAT REDUCE OVERALL IMPERVIOUSNESS
3A.
Street Design
Do local street design standards and
engineering practices encourage streets to be
no wider than is necessary to move traffic
effectively? Do policies allow narrow
Appropriate street widths allow narrower lanes for certain
street types, thereby reducing overall imperviousness.
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3B.
neighborhood streets designed to slow traffic
and create safer conditions for pedestrians
and bicyclists?
Are shared driveways, reduced driveway
widths, two -track driveways, and rear
garages and alleys encouraged for all single -
family developments?
Encourage alternative forms and decreased dimensions of
residential driveways and parking areas.
Green Infrastructure Elements and Street Design
Are major street projects required to
integrate green infrastructure practices as a
standard part of construction, maintenance,
and improvement plans?
Do regulations and policies promote use of
pervious materials for all paving areas,
including alleys, streets, sidewalks,
crosswalks, driveways, and parking lots?
Formally integrate green infrastructure into standard
roadway construction and retrofit practice.
Build and retrofit these surfaces with pervious materials to
reduce Stormwater runoff and its negative impacts.
ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT PROVISION OF PARKING
4A.
4B.
4C.
Reduced Parking Requirements
Does your local government provide
flexibility regarding alternative parking
requirements (e.g., shared parking, off-site
parking) and discourage over-parking of
developments? Do parking requirements
vary by zone to reflect places where more
trips are on foot or by transit?
Match parking requirements to the level of demand and
allow flexible arrangements to meet parking standards.
Transportation Demand Management Alternatives
Does the municipality allow developers to
use alternative measures such as
transportation demand management or in-
lieu payments to reduce required parking?
Provide flexibility to reduce parking in exchange for
specific actions that reduce parking demands on site.
Minimizing Stormwater From Parking Lots
Are there requirements for landscaping
designed to minimize Stormwater in parking
lots?
Require substantial landscaping to help reduce runoff.
ADOPT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS
5A.
Green Infrastructure Practices
Are green infrastructure practices
encouraged as legal and preferred for
managing Stormwater runoff?
Do Stormwater management plan reviews
take place early in the development review
process?
Do local building and plumbing codes allow
harvested rainwater use for exterior uses
such as irrigation and non-potable interior
uses such as toilet flushing?
Are provisions available to meet Stormwater
requirements in other ways, such as off -site
Make all types of green infrastructure allowed and legal
and remove all impediments to using green infrastructure
(including for Stormwater requirements), such as limits on
infiltration in rights-of-way, permit challenges for green
roofs, safety issues with permeable pavements, restrictions
on the use of cisterns and rain barrels, and other such
unnecessary barriers.
Incorporate Stormwater plan comments and review into the
early stages of development review/site plan review and
approval, preferably at pre-application meetings with
developers.
Ensure that the municipality allows and encourages
Stormwater reuse for non-potable uses.
Allow off-site management of runoff while still holding
developers responsible for meeting Stormwater
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5B.
management within the same sewershed or
"payment in lieu" of programs, to the extent
that on-site alternatives are not technically
feasible?
management goals.
Maintenance/Enforcement
Does your stormwater ordinance include
monitoring, tracking, and maintenance
requirements for stormwater management
practices?
Incorporate monitoring, tracking, and maintenance
requirements for stormwater management practices into
your municipal stormwater ordinance.
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Getting Started
Below are suggested steps to help complete the Water Quality Scorecard:
Step 1. Review the scorecard to identify which agencies, departments, or personnel will be required to complete each section.
Step 2. Convene appropriate staff to review various sections of the tool, and work together to ensure that updates and changes to codes, policies, and
internal processes align well with other agency changes.
Step 3. Collect existing ordinances and policies that will be necessary references to complete the scorecard.
Step 4. Coordinate between appropriate agencies or departments to complete the scorecard.
Please indicate by your signature that you have reviewed the tool with all co-signees of this document (name, department, and date):
Step 5: Identify sections of the scorecard and/or specific policy questions that should be prioritized for immediate revision or update.
Step 6: Identify short-, medium-, and long-term goals and strategies for revising local policies to better support green infrastructure.
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Section 1: Protect Natural Resources (Including Trees) and Open Space
1.ANatural Resource
Protection
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received
orN/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Sensitive Natural
Lands/Critical Area Protection
Question: Are development
policies, regulations, and incentives
in place to protect natural resource
areas and critical habitat?
Goal: Protect natural resource areas
(e.g., forests, prairies) and critical
habitat (e.g., conservation corridors,
buffer zones, wildlife preserves)
from future development.
Why: Protection of significant
tracts of critical lands and wildlife
habitat will aid in protecting and
improving water quality by
increasing infiltration and
groundwater recharge, preventing
erosion and contamination of
ground water and surface water
resources, and protecting sources of
drinking water.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Identify and map critical natural resource areas (e.g.,
steep slopes, wildlife habitat, forests, drinking water
source areas).
The local comprehensive plan contains a natural resource
protection element with goals calling for preservation of
identified critical natural resource areas.
Identify key natural resource areas for protection in
jurisdiction's parks and open space plan.
Assist landowners in identifying sensitive natural areas
and laying out developments to avoid such areas.
Local plans establish and enforce areas which are
available for development and which lands are a priority
for preservation.
Remove Barriers:
Protection of sensitive natural areas and wildlife habitat
qualifies for credit towards local open space dedication
and set-aside requirements.
Adopt Incentives:
Provide financial support to or collaborate with land
trusts to acquire critical natural areas.
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Establish a dedicated source of funding for open space
acquisition and management (e.g., bond proceeds, sales
tax).
Adopt a transferable developments rights program to
provide an incentive for landowners to preserve sensitive
natural lands and wildlife habitat.
Land use regulations provide for the creation of cluster
and conservation subdivision on the periphery of urban
growth areas to encourage preservation of intact blocks
of sensitive natural areas.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt regulations to protect steep slope, hillsides, and
other sensitive natural lands (e.g., by limiting
development on slopes > 30% or requiring larger lot
sizes in sensitive areas).
Adopt wildlife habitat protection regulations aimed at
preserving large contiguous blocks of habitat areas.
Create agriculture/natural resource zoning districts (e.g.,
minimum lot size of 80 acres and larger) to preserve
agricultural areas and forests.
(2) Protection Of Water
Bodies/Aquifers
a. Question: Are no-development
buffer zones and other protective
tools in place around wetlands,
riparian areas, and floodplains that
improve/protect water quality?
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Identify and map critical water resource areas.
The local comprehensive plan contains a water quality
protection element with goals calling for protection of
identified water bodies and other water resource areas
such as wetlands.
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Goal: Protect critical areas such as
wetlands, floodplains, lakes, rivers,
and estuaries with a mandatory no-
development buffer.
Why: The use of these practices
will reduce pollutant loads and
hydrologic alterations to water
bodies.
Identify key critical water resource areas for protection in
jurisdiction's parks and open space plan.
Cooperate in developing regional approaches to
watershed protection and stormwater management.
Remove Barriers:
Wetlands and other water bodies and buffer areas qualify
for credit against local open space dedication/set-aside
regulations.
Adopt Incentives:
Protected water bodies and buffer areas qualify for twice
the credit (or more) against open space requirements set
by the municipality.
Restoration of degraded riparian/wetland areas qualifies
for additional open space credit within the local
municipal system.
Transfer of density from protected riparian areas/buffers
to upland portions of development sites.
Enact Regulations:
Riparian and wetland buffer areas required by local land
use regulations
--Buffer is at least 50 feet (as measured from the
top of bank) = 1 point
--Buffer is at least 100 feet (as measured from the
top of bank) = 2 points
--Buffer is greater than 100 feet (as measured from
the top of bank) = 3 points
Critical water resource areas cannot be counted in
Ito3
points
14
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calculating allowable density on a site (e.g., on a 200-
acre site with 50 acres of wetlands, only 150 acres can be
used to calculate density under zone district regulations,
and only those 150 acres may be developed).
Development in floodplains is prohibited or must
demonstrate no adverse impacts upstream and
downstream (See resources below for details on "no
adverse impact" approach to floodplain management).
Stormwater quality and quantity performance standards
exist for development sites (e.g., restrictions on
sedimentation levels, pre/post development flows).
Local regulations require restoration of degraded
riparian/wetland areas on a development site.
Compensation for damage to riparian/wetland areas must
be on a minimum 2:1 basis on- or off-site.
Performance standards exist and are well enforced for
stormwater discharges to wetlands that protect the
hydrologic regimes and limit pollutant loads.
b. Question: Does the community
have protection measures for source
water protection areas through land
use controls and stewardship
activities?
Goal: Protect source water areas
from current or potential sources of
contamination.
Why: These practices will help
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Local land use plans identify aquifer recharge/source
water areas and recommend protective measures.
Require that all stormwater inlets carry a notice
regarding discharge to receiving waters.
Map and publish wellhead and aquifer recharge areas to
alert developers to potential restrictions.
15
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safeguard community health, reduce
the risk of water supply
contamination, and potentially
reduce water treatment costs.
Adopt Incentives:
Identification of drinking water source protection and
aquifer recharge areas with a dedicated funding source in
place to purchase and protect such areas.
Protection of critical water source areas qualifies for
additional credit towards local open space requirements.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt well-head protection regulations/zones to prevent
incompatible development and uses.
Adopt aquifer protection regulations/zones to prevent
incompatible development and uses.
1.B-- Open Space Protection
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Does the
jurisdiction have adequate open
space in both developed and
greenfield areas of the community?
Goal: Create open space networks
throughout a community that serve
a dual function of providing
recreational areas and assisting in
the management of stormwater
runoff.
Why: In addition to providing
open space throughout a community
as an amenity, such a network can
provide large areas that contribute
little to stormwater loads and can
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Adopt a community-wide open space and parks plan.
The local comprehensive plan contains an open
space/parks element that recognizes the role of open
space in sustainable stormwater management.
Remove Barriers:
Green infrastructure practices count towards local open
space set aside requirements up to 50% of total.
Allow and encourage retrofits of abandoned or
underutilized public lands to serve as permanent or
temporary open space and green infrastructure sites.
16
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provide large areas for the
infiltration and purification of
stormwater.
Create Incentives:
Additional open space credits are eligible for green
stormwater management facilities improved/designed for
public recreational purposes.
Provide credit against open space impact fees for green
roofs.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt neighborhood policies and ordinances that work to
create neighborhoodnot development siteopen space
amenities that are within 1A to l/i mile walking distance
from every residence.
Adopt an open space impact fee to purchase passive open
space that can assist in stormwater management.
Adopt open space dedication and/or set aside
requirements based on the demand generated by the
development. As a baseline, use the average open space
requirements adopted by the National Recreation and
Park Assn. (e.g., 10 acres of community and
neighborhood parks for every 1,000 persons in a
development or fraction thereof).
l.C-Tree Protection
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Does the local
government have a comprehensive
public urban forestry program?
Goal: Protect and maintain trees on
public property and rights-of-way
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Survey and inventory existing trees on public lands and
street rights-of-way. Document the characteristics and
location of street trees and urban tree canopy to inform
public tree planting, adoption, and maintenance
17
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and plant additional trees to
enhance the urban tree canopy.
Why: Mature trees provide
multiple community benefits,
reduce overall stormwater runoff,
and improve stormwater quality.
programs.
Select tree species based on known performance for
managing stormwater runoff. Publish list and make
widely available for homeowners/others that plant street
trees.
Conduct education and outreach about tree protection,
proper maintenance, and replanting opportunities through
printed materials, workshops, events, and signage.
Adopt a policy to protect existing trees on local
government development sites (e.g., municipal parking
lots, municipal buildings).
Maintain an active tree maintenance program for public
trees, including pest control, pruning, watering, and
similar measures.
Remove Barriers:
Acknowledge trees as part of community infrastructure
and develop a coordinated design for locating public
utilities to provide enough space for mature tree canopy
and root development.
Adopt Incentives:
Provide free or reduced-price trees to homeowners to be
used as street trees.
Enact Regulations:
Require any public trees removed or damaged during
construction associated with private development to be
replaced on- or off-site with an equivalent amount of tree
caliper (e.g., remove a 24-inch diameter tree/replace with
6 four-inch diameter trees).
18
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Adopt construction protection rules for all public trees
(e.g., fencing, no storage of hazardous materials, avoid
cutting into root zones).
(2) Question: Has the community
taken steps to protect trees on
private property?
Goal: Preserve trees on private
property and require replacement
when trees are removed or damaged
during development.
Why: Mature trees provide multiple
environmental, economic, and
community benefits, including
improved water and air quality,
reduced heat island effects, lowered
energy costs, and improved
community aesthetics.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Community plans specifically include tree preservation
and replacement as community goals.
Conduct educational sessions for builders and developers
regarding appropriate tree protection techniques and/or
publish a technical tree protection manual.
Follow maintenance and inspection timelines and meet
canopy goals and milestones by ensuring old trees
survive, replacing dead or diseased trees, and planting
new trees.
Remove Barriers:
Set up maintenance and inspection agreements for
private properties meeting stormwater requirements or
receiving stormwater fee credit for trees.
Set up long-term maintenance and inspection schedules
for trees on public lands.
Adopt Incentives:
Support local non-profits that plant trees and provide
educational services.
Provide financial incentives for tree purchases and
planting.
A tree fund has been established to receive in-lieu
payments when trees must be removed from a
development site to accommodate permitted projects.
19
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Trees of a specified minimum size count towards a
percentage of stormwater management requirements
(e.g., partial credit given for each mature tree exceeding
a specified height or canopy size).
Trees over a specified minimum size (e.g., 3-inch
caliper) protected during development are credited
towards landscaping requirements.
meeting the established landscape requirement = 1
point
exceeding the established landscape requirement = 2
points
I to 2
points
Enact Regulations:
Require permits before removing trees on proposed
development or redevelopment sites. Provide fines
and/or stop-work authority for permit violations.
Set minimum tree preservation standards for new
development sites.
Require site plans or stormwater plans to include tree
preservation.
Require/allow tree replacement off-site for infill sites.
(3) Question: Are street trees
encouraged or required as part of
road and public right-of-way capital
improvement projects?
Goal: Leverage existing capital
funds to plant more street trees and
add multiple benefits to the public
right-of-way.
Why: Street trees can help manage
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Local comprehensive and transportation plans support
the planting of street trees by all private and public
development projects.
Capital improvement plans include tree planning as part
of project budgets.
Adopt Incentives:
20
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and reduce stormwater runoff while
providing multiple public and
environmental benefits.
Offer incentives, such as reduced setbacks or increased
building densities, in exchange for additional tree
preservation beyond ordinance requirements.
Enact Regulations:
All private and public developments are required to plant
street trees in accordance with size, spacing, and other
local government requirements.
New street designs and redesigns of existing streets take
into account space for tree development and require
necessary surface area and volume of soil dependent on
type of tree species selected (this includes lateral root
growth as well as direct downward growth to
accommodate mature tree canopy and roots without
adversely affecting other utilities).
Street specifications require permeable paving for
sidewalks and other surfaces to reduce stormwater runoff
and allow street trees to benefit from the available water.
Total score for PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS AND OPEN
SPACE:
80
This section has been reviewed and scored by
(Insert Department name and signee)
RESOURCES
Planner's Guide to Wetland Buffers for Local Governments, Environmental Law Institute: http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=l 1272
21
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Mertes, James D. and James R. Hall. Park, Recreation, Open Space and Greenway Guidelines. National Recreation and Park Association, 1996.
Center for Watershed Protection guidance on aquatic buffers:
http://www.cwp.org/Resource_Library/Restoration_and_Watershed_Stewardship/perviousarea.htm
"Protecting Stream and River Corridors: Creating Effective Local Riparian Buffer Ordinances," Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of
Georgia: http://www.rivercenter.uga.edu/publications/pdf/riparian_buffer_guidebook.pdf
No Adverse Impact Floodplain Management, Association of State Floodplain Managers:
http://www.floods.org/index.asp ?menuID=349&firstlevelmenuID=187&siteID=l
Riparian Toolbox: Model Regulations and Legal Issues, Long Island Sound Study: http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/riparian/legal.htm
Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources: Aquatic Buffers, U.S. EPA: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance/osml.htm
Duerksen, Christopher and Cara Snyder. Nature-Friendly Communities: Habitat Protection and Land Use Planning. Island Press, 2005.
City Trees: Sustainability Guidelines and Best Practices: http://www.treetrust.org/pdf/community-forestry-city-trees-bonestroo.pdf
Guide to Setting Urban Tree Canopy Goals, American Forests: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/urbanforests/treedeficit.php
Urban Forestry Manual, Center for Watershed Protection: http://www.cwp.org/forestry/part3forestrymanual.pdf (pg. 69))
Duerksen, Christopher and Suzanne Richman, "Tree Conservation Ordinances." American Planning Association. 1993: Planning Advisory Service Report
No. 446.
Duerksen, Christopher , Mowery, M. and McGlyn M. "Tree Preservation." Zoning Practice. July 2006: American Planning Association, Volume 23
Number 7.
"Trees for green streets: An illustrated guide," Portland Metro: http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=26337
Tree Preservation Information Guide, Portland, Oregon: http://www.sustainableportland.org/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=72545
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Guide, U.S. EPA: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swppp.cfm
Center for Urban Forest Research, U.S. Forest Service: http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/cufr/
Urban Forest Policy and Management, U.S. Forest Service: http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/cufr/research/studies.php?TopicID=l
Plants for Stormwater Design Volume II, Great River Greening: http://www.greatrivergreening.org/_downloads/PSD%20II%20Sample.PDF
CASE STUDIES
Alachua County, Florida's land conservation and acquisition program, Alachua County Forever, has conserved over 17,000 acres of environmentally
sensitive land: http://www.alachuacounty.us/government/depts/epd/land/filesforms.aspx
Baltimore County, Maryland's Master Plan 2010 designates land management areas that include agricultural preservation areas and resource preservation
areas: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/planning/masterplanning/smartgrowth.html
King County, Washington's Greenprint Project is an open space and resource conservation strategy that focuses on land acquisition, restoration projects,
regulatory changes and protection within the urban growth boundary: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/greenprint/about.htm
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Green program revitalizes and maintains abandoned land and public spaces by partnering with
government, businesses and the community: http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/phlgreen/about.html
Chicago, Illinois's Open Space Impact Fee Ordinance charges a fee associated with residential development building permits and spends the funds on
acquisition of neighborhood open space in the same area where development occurs:
22
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http: //egov. cityofchicago. org/city/webportal/portalContentltemAction. do ?blockName=Buildings%2FContent&deptMainCategory OID=-
5 3 690123 3 &entityName=Buildings&topChannelName=Dept&contentOID=5 3 698 8 877&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL
Lenexa, Kansas's Watershed Management Plan, includes erosion and sediment control, stream buffers, subwatershed protection and improvement, and
design standards for the city's uniform development code: https://www.ci.lenexa.ks.us/Planning/compplan/Overview/
The Maryland Cooperative Extension Service provides a fact sheet on how to design, plant and maintain a riparian forest buffer:
http://www.riparianbuffers.umd.edu/fact/FS725.html
Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation offers grants to conservation organizations to purchase or receive donated river corridor easements
on private property within priority stretches of river: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/rivers/docs/rv_RiverCorridorEasementGuide.pdf
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service provides guidance on riparian buffers through the Ohio Lake Erie Buffer
Program: http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/Lake_Erie_Buffer/riparian.html
Davidson, North Carolina requires a public park within a five minute walk of all housing units, providing multifunctional neighborhood open space:
http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/index.aspx?NID=576
San Jose, California gives post-construction stormwater treatment credit for new and existing trees in close proximity to impervious areas:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/stormwater/Policy_6-29_Memo_Revisions.pdf
Portland, Oregon gives a stormwater fee discount for trees over 15 feet tall: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=43444&#types
Portland, Oregon also gives a tree credit for meeting local stormwater requirements: http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=93075
Portland, Oregon Parks and Recreation and Bureau of Development Services regulate tree cutting on private property and public property:
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=39712
New York City requires street tree planting for a range of developments and zoning increases:
http: //www .nyc .gov/html/dcp/html/street_tree_planting/index. shtml
Charlottesville, North Carolina has set goals for achieving a 40% minimum urban tree canopy: http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=1745
(Chapter 8, pgs. 184-187)
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Section 2: Promote Efficient, Compact Development Patterns and Infill
2.ASupport Infill and
Redevelopment
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Are policy
incentives in place to direct
development to previously
developed areas?
Goal: Municipalities implement a
range of policies and tools to direct
development to specific areas.
Why: Municipalities can realize a
significant reduction in regional
runoff if they take advantage of
underused properties, such as infill,
brownfield, or greyfield sites.
Redeveloping already degraded
sites such as abandoned shopping
centers or underutilized parking lots
rather than paving greenfield sites
for new development can
dramatically reduce total
impervious area while allowing
communities to experience the
benefits and opportunities
associated with growth.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Local plans identify potential brownfield and greyfield
sites, and support their redevelopment.
Capital improvement plans include infrastructure
improvements (water, sewer, road, sidewalk, etc.
upgrades) for identified brownfield and greyfield sites.
Educate lending and financial institutions about benefits
and local priorities of directing development to existing
areas.
Conduct outreach to the community to ensure support
for local forms and patterns of development.
Remove Barriers:
Establish a brownfields program to remove uncertainty
regarding cleanup and liability issues.
Adopt Incentives:
Provide incentives such as density bonuses and
24
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accelerated permitting for brownfield and greyfield sites.
Adopt funding mechanisms for
remediating/redeveloping brownfield and greyfield sites.
Streamlined permitting procedures facilitate infill and
brownfield redevelopment plan review.
Establish tax increment financing (TIP) districts to
encourage redevelopment.
Enact Regulations:
In local codes, ordinances, and policies, the municipality
differentiates between greenfield and infill development.
2.BDirect Development To
Existing Infrastructure
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Does the
municipality direct growth to areas
with existing infrastructure, such as
sewer, water, and roads?
Goal: Adopt policies, incentives,
and regulations to direct new
development to areas that have
infrastructure, such as water and
sewer.
However, in situations where
development is in areas with no
sewer infrastructure, permitting
alternative treatment options that
can allow for higher density
development or clustering of
houses will reduce the overall water
quality impact.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Local plans recommend/establish urban growth areas
and urban growth boundaries. Development is
encouraged within urban growth boundaries and
discouraged outside of them.
Analyze which areas within the jurisdiction are
appropriate for higher density development based on
existing infrastructure capacity, cost of providing new
services, and access.
Capital improvement plans for public infrastructure
(roads, water, sewer, etc.) target funding inside urban
growth boundary.
Local sewer/water authority capital improvement plans
follow development policies established in local
comprehensive plans and target areas with existing
25
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Why: Sewer and water authorities
can play a major role in directing a
region's growth by determining
when and where new infrastructure
investment will occur. Well-drafted
facility planning areas can direct
growth by providing sewer service
in areas least likely to impact water
resources.
development/infrastructure.
Remove Barriers:
Development standards addressing landscaping,
buffering, parking, and open space are tailored for infill
areas to avoid creating unnecessary hurdles to
development (e.g., imposing suburban parking
requirements in high-density infill areas).
Remove prohibitions on accessory dwelling units in
infill areas to increase density of development.
Off-site, regional water retention/detention
encouraged/allowed to avoid costly on-site retention in
densely developed infill areas and to provide benefit to
priority retrofit sites, such as schools.
Package plants and other wastewater treatment trains are
encouraged for development in limited circumstance
areas where growth is appropriate but sewers/treatment
capacity does not exist.
Technical information and analysis on the effectiveness
of various treatment systems are readily available to
developers. Local governments have determined which
systems work best for their soil conditions and
topography and have made this information available to
the development community.
Allow a wide variety of housing types and sizes within
infill areas and reduced minimum lot sizes.
Adopt Incentives:
Increase development densities and allowable height in
infill areas.
Reduce impact fees for infill development based on less
26
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demand for new infrastructure.
Create development incentives for green roofs (e.g..
increased floor area ratio [FAR] bonus, additional
building height).
Include provision in stormwater management
requirement that reduces on site management
requirements for projects that decrease total
imperviousness on previously developed sites.
Enact Regulations:
Zoning and land development regulations implement
urban service areas/urban growth boundary policies by
restricting development in outlying areas.
Adopt adequate public facility and concurrency
ordinances that require adequate public infrastructure to
be available when development comes on line (e.g.,
water, sewer, roads).
Adopt large-lot/agricultural zoning (e.g., 1 unit/160
acres) on fringe of city to restrict inappropriate
greenfield development.
Enact transitional compatibility standards to ensure that
new denser infill development is compatible with
existing neighborhoods/adjacent development.
2.CEncourage Mixed-Use
Developments
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
27
-------
(1) Question: Are mixed-use and
transit-oriented developments
allowed or encouraged?
Goal: Revise codes and ordinances
to allow for the "by right" building
of mixed-use and transit-oriented
developments.
Why: Mixed-use developments
allow for the co-locating of land
uses, which decreases impervious
surfaces associated with parking
and decreases vehicle miles
traveledresulting in a reduction
of hydrocarbons left on roadways
and reduced air deposition.
Transit-oriented development
(TOD) produces water quality
benefits by reducing: (1) land
consumption due to smaller site
footprints; (2) parking spaces and
the impervious cover associated
with them; and (3) average vehicle
miles traveled, which, in turn,
reduces deposition of air pollution
into water bodies.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Comprehensive plans identify appropriate areas for
higher-density mixed-use developments (e.g., at transit
stops) and recommend policies to encourage their
development.
Local capital improvement plans and funding are
targeted to areas appropriate for mixed-use development.
Remove Barriers:
Zoning ordinances can create by-right mixed-use and
transit-oriented development districts or overlays
through amendments.
Initiate map amendments to designate mixed-use and
transit-oriented development areas, eliminating the need
for developers to secure zoning amendments.
Adopt Incentives:
Parking requirements are reduced to reflect decreased
automobile use.
Credit given for adjacent on-street parking, which can
count for local parking requirements.
Shared parking and alternative parking arrangements
encouraged.
Mixed-use districts/areas feature increased densities and
height.
Accessory parking structures are not counted against
maximum floor area ratio (FAR) on a site.
28
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Enact Regulations:
Zoning code requires a minimum mix of uses and
minimum density in designated mixed-use and transit-
oriented development areas.
Auto-oriented uses and drive-throughs are restricted or
prohibited in mixed-use and transit-oriented
development areas.
Total score for PROMOTE EFFICIENT, COMPACT DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
AND INFILL:
45
This section has been reviewed and scored by
(Insert Department name and signee)
RESOURCES
"Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development," U.S. EPA Development, Community and Environment Division:
http://www.epa.gov/dced/water_density.htm
"Infill Development: Completing the Community Fabric," Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington:
http: //www .mrsc. org/Subj ects/Planning/infillde v. aspx
Smart Growth Priority Funding Areas Act of 1997, Maryland Department of Planning: http://www.mdp.state.md.us/fundingact.htm
Metro Regional Government Urban Growth Boundary, Portland Metro: http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfin/go/by.web/id/277
Smart Growth Toolkit, Smart Growth Leadership Institute: http://www.smartgrowthtoolkit.net/main-content/the-smart-growth-implementation-tools.html
"Water and Growth: Toward a Stronger Connection Between Water Supply and Land Use in Southeastern Pennsylvania," 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania:
http://10000friends.org/water-and-growth
"Connecting Smart Growth and Brownfields Redevelopment," Center for Environmental Policy and Management, University of Louisville:
http://cepm.louisville.edu/publications/PDF_docs/smart%20growth%20and%20brownfields%20for%20website.pdf
"Strategies for Successful Infill Development," Northeast Midwest Institute: http://www.nemw.org/infillbook.htm
"Smart Infill," Greenbelt Alliance: http://www.greenbelt.org/resources/reports/smartinfill/index.html
Infill Incentives, Policy Link: http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/BUSINESS/infilpgm.html
29
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CASE STUDIES
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is responsible for helping municipalities establish Sewer Service Area Planning to protect water quality and
guide growth within public sewer systems: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/GLWSP/SSAPlan/
Dane County, Wisconsin's BUILD program offers incentives for infill development and removes barriers to redevelopment in order to preserve farmland
and prevent greenfield development: http://www.countyofdane.com/plandev/Community/build/about.asp
U.S. EPA and Land-of-Sky Regional Council in Asheville, North Carolina developed a report outlining market, policy and regulatory changes that can
help overcome the barriers to infill and brownfield redevelopment: http://www.epa.gov/dced/pdf/losrc_brownfields.pdf
The Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program prepared a Model Infill Ordinance to clarify legal and policy-related questions about local
infill incentives: http://www.dca.state.ga.us/intra_nonpub/Toolkit/ModelOrdinances/ModOrdInfl.pdf
The City of Sacramento, California's Infill Strategies includes a Water Development Fee Waiver, Reduced Entitlement Fees and Sewer Facility Fee
Reductions: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/planning/infill/
Phoenix, Arizona's Infill Housing Program provides incentives to encourage single-family housing on vacant and underutilized land and offers high
density development standards: http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/BUSINESS/infilpgm.html
Portland, Oregon's Infill Design website provides design strategies for integrating infill development into medium-density neighborhoods:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=34024
Portland, Oregon's Ecoroof Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Bonus allows developers to increase a building's footprint or floor area by adding an ecoroof:
http://www.portlandonline .com/bes/index.cfm?a=236916&c=48725
The Georgia Quality Growth Partnership's Infill Development Program outlines a comprehensive infill strategy that includes incentives, improvements to
public facilities, streamlined regulations, and guidelines for the design, density and location of infill projects:
http: //www .georgiaqualitygrowth.com/ToolDetail. asp ?GetTool=3 2
Santa Cruz, California's Accessory Dwelling Unit Development Program encourages well-designed rental housing in the developed core of the City while
being careful to discourage poorly-constructed illegal residential additions: http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pl/hcd/ADU/adu.html
Clark County, Washington's Infill Development Incentives include a waiver of all stormwater requirements for infill projects that create less than 5,000
square feet of new impervious surface: http://www.clark.wa.gov/commdev/documents/devservices/handouts/46-infill.pdf
San Diego, California offers expedited permitting for eligible affordable/infill housing projects: http://www.sandiego.gov/development-
services/industry/pdf/infobulletin/ib5 3 8 .pdf
30
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Section 3: Design Complete, Smart Streets That Reduce Overall Imperviousness
3.AStreet Design
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Do local street
design standards and engineering
practices encourage streets to be no
wider than necessary to move
traffic effectively?
Do street designs vary according to:
street type (arterial streets,
collector streets,
neighborhood streets) and
urban context (urban core,
transit station area, suburban
center, general suburban,
rural)?
Do policies allow narrow
neighborhood streets designed to
slow traffic and create safer
conditions for pedestrians and
bicyclists?
Goal: Appropriate street widths
allow narrower lanes for certain
street types, thereby reducing
overall imperviousness.
Why: The width of travel lanes,
parking lanes and sidewalks should
be tailored to the urban setting.
Where appropriate, narrowing
travel lane width to 10-11 feet,
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Comprehensive plan/transportation plan emphasizes
alternative modes of transportation (walking, biking, and
transit) to reduce vehicle miles traveled and width and
prominence of roads/streets.
Comprehensive/transportation plan calls for distributing
traffic across several parallel streets, reducing the need
for high capacity streets with wide rights-of-way.
Comprehensive/transportation planning process brings
emergency response and other local government
departments (e.g., public works, utilities) to the table
early in the process to discuss street design.
Adopt formal bicycle/pedestrian master plan.
Create "safe routes to school" programs or other
pedestrian/bike safety initiatives.
Make consistent improvements to walking/biking
conditions or develop a formal bicycle/pedestrian master
plan.
Remove Barriers:
Comprehensive plan endorses context-sensitive street
design with narrower streets in appropriate locations.
Improve pedestrian crossing at intersections to
encourage walking.
31
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rather than the standard 12-13 feet,
can significantly reduce the total
amount of impervious surfaces.
Such streets can also substantially
improve conditions for walking,
biking, and using transit, which
reduces automobile use and overall
demand for parking spaces.
Consolidate utilities in street right-of-way to improve
sidewalk design and function.
Negotiate with state department of transportation or
county transportation department to allow different
design standards for regional roads passing through
downtowns or other key areas.
Promote street standards for fire safety that include
attributes of narrow streets (20 feet widths) while
identifying factors relevant to local government
departments involved with streets such as public works,
engineering and utilities.
Take formal control of state or county roads within city
boundaries to ensure power over design and operations.
Adopt Incentives:
Developments that provide comprehensive
pedestrian/bicycle circulation systems allowed reducing
number of vehicle parking spaces. (See parking section
below for greater detail.)
Developments with approved comprehensive
mobility/transportation plans allowed building narrower,
less costly streets and alleys.
32
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7 Connectivity index refers to the
intersections, and minimal dead-ends
destinations, and creating a more Ace
Enact Regulations:
Revamp local government technical street specifications
to allow context-sensitive, innovative street design with
narrower travel lanes, without curb and gutter, etc., in
appropriate circumstances (See Institute of
Transportation Engineers Recommended Practice
document below).
Emergency response professionals and other local
government departments involved with streets (e.g.
public works, engineering, utilities) have endorsed or
adopted design standards for narrower neighborhood
streets.
Development review process involves emergency
response early on to reach consensus on appropriate
project street design and access.
Development review process requires submittal of
project pedestrian/bicycle circulation plans with safe
street routes and other pedestrian/bicycle-friendly
features in addition to traffic circulation plans for larger
developments.
Apply formal connectivity index7 or other measures to
ensure adequate internal street and pedestrian/bicycle
connections.
Zoning/subdivision regulations require minimum
number of connections between new project and
surrounding developments and neighborhoods.
directness of links and the density of connections in path or road nc
(cul-de-sacs). As connectivity increases, travel distances decre ise
essible and Resilient system. Source: Online Travel Demand N anagement Enbycloped
twork. A well connected
and route o rtions
road or path network has many short links, numerous
increase allowing more direct travel between
ia, http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdml 16.htm
33
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Remove Barriers:
Allow developments that utilize shared driveways and
rear-loaded garages to permit overnight parking in
driveways and on-street.
Development code prohibits homeowner covenants
forbidding overnight parking in driveways, on-street
overnight parking, and shared driveways.
Adopt Incentives:
Allow developments with narrow driveways and rear-
loaded garages to reduce number of parking spaces for
guests.
Zoning/subdivision regulations require minimum
number of connections between new project and
surrounding developments and neighborhoods.
Enact Regulations:
Shared driveways are permitted or required for single-
family residential developments.
Minimum widths for single-family driveways reduced to
9 feet.
Two-track driveways are allowed by technical
street/subdivision specifications.
Single-family residential developments
encouraged/required to be designed with minimum
percentage of alley-accessible, rear-loading garages.
Alleys/garages encouraged = 1 points
-Alleys/garages required = 2 points
Ito2
points
34
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3.BGreen Infrastructure
Elements and Street Design
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Are major street
projects required to integrate green
infrastructure practices as a
standard part of construction,
maintenance, and improvement
plans?
Goal: Formally integrate green
infrastructure into standard
roadway construction and retrofit
practice.
Why: Consistent projects to
improve or repair streets provide
opportunities to include green
infrastructure retrofits as part of
larger project budget, design, and
construction.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Comprehensive/transportation plans promote green
infrastructure practices in street design.
Street project cost estimates include green infrastructure
designs and assess cost savings from reduced hard
infrastructure.
Remove Barriers:
Technical street specifications allow/require integration
of green infrastructure elements into street project
construction.
Allow street-side swales to replace conventional curb
and gutter for managing stormwater and for separating
sidewalks from street traffic in appropriate
circumstances.
Adopt Incentives:
Undertake consistent effort to secure state and federal
funds (e.g. transportation enhancements) to pay for
green infrastructure elements.
Streets with green infrastructure count towards
stormwater requirements.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt green infrastructure retrofit standards for major
street projects.
-------
Adopt technical specifications and design templates for
green infrastructure in private and public rights-of-way.
All local road projects required to allocate a minimum
amount of the total project cost to green infrastructure
elements.
(2) Question: Do regulations and
policies promote use of pervious
materials for all paving areas,
including alleys, streets, sidewalks,
crosswalks, driveways, and parking
lots?
Goal: Build and retrofit these
surfaces with pervious materials to
reduce stormwater runoff and its
negative impacts.
Note: While eliminating sidewalks
or placing sidewalks on only one
side of the road can reduce
impervious cover, this strategy is
typically most appropriate for rural
areas. However, other effective
strategies can achieve the same
runoff reductions that will not limit
residents' options for recreation and
transportation.
Why: Streets, sidewalks, and other
hard surfaces contribute a large
portion to a municipality's total
imperviousness. Making these
impervious surfaces more
permeable protects water quality,
reduces flooding, and can recharge
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Sponsor/approve pilot programs to determine
appropriate pervious materials for different paving areas
(e.g., permeable concrete for sidewalks, permeable
pavers for driveways), as well as process for installation
and maintenance.
Pilot project results incorporated into standard practice
for all new paved areas and retrofits of existing paved
surfaces.
Adopt policy to replace impervious materials with
pervious materials where practical.
Remove Barriers:
Technical street specifications allow pervious paving
materials in appropriate circumstances (e.g., not allowed
over aquifer recharge areas).
Adopt Incentives:
Create formal program offering incentives (e.g., cost
sharing, reduction in street widths/parking requirements,
assistance with maintenance) to property owners who
utilize pervious pavement elements.
36
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groundwater.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt requirement that some percentage of parking lots,
alleys, or roads in a development utilize pervious
materials.
Development approvals that allow/require use of
pervious materials include requirements for continuing
maintenance/cleaning of pervious surfaces.
Total score for DESIGN COMPLETE, SMART STREETS THAT REDUCE OVERALL
IMPERVIOUSNESS:
1
1
50
This section has been reviewed and scored by
(Insert Department name and signee)
RESOURCES
Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities, Institute of Transportation Engineers:
http://www.ite.org/css/ (Ch. 6, pages. 65-87)
"Neighborhood Street Design Guidelines: An Oregon Guide for Reducing Street Widths," Oregon Department of Transportation and Department of Land
Conservation and Development: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/docs/publications/neighstreet.pdf
University of California, Davis Sustainable Transportation Center Sustainable Streets Project: http://stc.ucdavis.edu/outreach/ssp.php
New York High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines: http://www.designtrust.org/pubs/05_HPIG.pdf
Stormwater Guidelines for Green, Dense Redevelopment: Stormwater Quality Solutions for the City of Emeryville:
http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/planning/pdf/stormwater_guidelines.pdf
"Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Guidebook," San Mateo County, California Water Pollution Prevention Program:
http://www.flowstobay.org/ms_sustainable_streets.php
Green Streets: Innovative Solutions for Stormwater and Stream Crossings, Portland Metro: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=26335
Green Highways Partnership between U.S. EPA, U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Maryland State Highway Administration:
http: //www .greenhighways. org/
37
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Protecting Water Quality with Smart Growth Strategies and Natural Stormwater Management in Sussex County, Delaware:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/2009_0106_sussex_county.pdf
Promoting Sustainable Transportation Through Site Design: An Institute of Transportation Engineers Proposed Recommended Practice:
http://www.cite7.org/Technical_Projects/Final%20Proposed%20Recommended%20Practice%20RP-035.pdf
Transportation is about Places, Project for Public Spaces: http://www.pps.org/transportation/
CASE STUDIES
The Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis conducts research and develops policies to design transportation systems that minimize the
impacts of roads on landscapes and communities: http://roadecology.ucdavis.edu/
Houston, Texas's Urban Corridor Planning changes development regulations and infrastructure standards to support transit ridership and walkability in key
corridors: http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Urban/urban_cor.html
San Francisco, California's Better Streets Plan created a common set of standards and guidelines for designing, building and maintaining more pedestrian
friendly sidewalks, crosswalks and roadways, including extensive greening: http://www.sfbetterstreets.org
Portland, Oregon's Green Streets Program includes design specifications for swales, planters and curb extensions, creative funding for projects that treat
runoff from public rights-of-way, case studies, tours, and videos of public and private green street projects:
http://www.portlandonline.com/BES/index.cfm?c=44407
Seattle, Washington's Right-of-Way Improvements Manual outlines the requirements and permitting process for right-of-way improvements, as well as
provides specific design criteria and model templates for submitting street design concepts: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/
Florida Department of Transportation developed Model Regulations and Plan Amendments for Multimodal Transportation Districts, including regulation
changes related to traffic calming, parking, sidewalks and pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and incentives for developments located in multimodal
transportation districts: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/systems/sm/los/pdfs/MMTDregs.pdf
New York Department of Transportation's Sustainable Streets Strategic Plan includes an initiative to retrofit underused roads into public plazas,
streamlining design review for capital projects, and goals to connect tree pits for better surface drainage, among other stormwater management
improvements : http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/stratplan.shtml
Chicago, Illinois's Green Alley Program retrofits existing alleys with permeable pavement for better stormwater management, localized flood mitigation,
heat reduction, material recycling, and energy conservation:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/GreenAlleyHandbook.pdf
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources offers guidance to developers on eliminating curbs and gutters, including siting and
design considerations, maintenance concerns, effectiveness and cost considerations: http://www.p2pays.org/ref/41/40403.pdf
New York City requires street trees for every 25 feet of street frontage of a zoning lot:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/street_tree_planting/tree_adopted_cc_043008.pdf, page 8.
Seattle Public Utilities' Natural Drainage System projects redesign residential streets to include vegetated drainage systems that use swales, wetlands, trees
and other natural features to treat pollutants and minimize the speed and volume of road runoff:
http: //www .Seattle .gov/util/About_SPU/Drainage_&_Sewer_System/Natural_Drainage_Sy stems/
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Section 4: Encourage Efficient Parking
4.AReduced Parking
Requirements
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local Resources
(1) Question: Does your local
government provide flexibility
regarding alternative parking
requirements (e.g., shared parking,
off-site parking) and discourage
over-parking of developments?
Do parking requirements vary by
zone to reflect places where more
trips are on foot or by transit?
Goal: Match parking requirements
to the level of demand and allow
flexible arrangements to meet
parking standards.
Why: Inflexible parking
requirements that do not allow for
alternative approaches, as well as
standards that require too much
parking for specific uses increase
the amount of impervious surface
in a development. Over-parking a
development also encourages
greater vehicle use and detracts
from the overall pedestrian
environment.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
The comprehensive plan recognizes the advantages to
reduced parking requirements generally and specifically
for mixed-use and transit-oriented developments.
The comprehensive plan recommends alternative,
flexible approaches to meeting parking demands (e.g.,
shared parking, counting on-street spaces towards site
parking requirements)
Comprehensn^icycle plans recommend provision of
bicycle parking spaces/storage lockers and concomitant
reduction in vehicle parking space requirements.
Remove Barriers:
Allow flexibility in meeting parking space requirements
through shared parking, off-site parking, and similar
approaches.
Permit businesses with different peak demand periods to
share their required parking spaces.
Adopt Incentives:
Permit reduction in vehicle parking spaces through the
provision of a minimum number of bicycle parking
spaces.
Allow by-right reduction in required parking spaces
39
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(e.g., 25%) in mixed-use and transit-oriented
developments and districts.
Permit developers to undertake parking studies to
establish that specific developments (e.g., senior
housing, affordable housing) require fewer parking
spaces than typical projects.
Create parking districts to finance/construct centralized
parking lots/structures as shared parking facilities to
reduce on-site parking.
Enact Regulations:
Revise parking regulations to reduce minimums below
standard ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers)
requirements based on analysis of local developments
and actual parking demand/experience.
Charge developers for every space beyond parking
minimums to offset environmental impacts.
Enact parking standards that allow credit for adjacent
on-street parking.
Create zones with reduced parking requirements (e.g.,
transit overlay districts, mixed-use activity centers,
multi-modal districts).
Waive all parking minimums in downtown and other
locations that are pedestrian-oriented and/or have good
transit access.
Adopt parking standards that reduce requirements based
on sliding scale tied to degree of walkability/transit
access locations (20% reduction in areas well served by
bus, 30% reduction in areas served by rail stations).
Require shared parking agreements where appropriate
complementary uses exist.
40
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Adopt maximum parking caps (e.g., 125% above
minimum) for multi-family and commercial
developments.
Reduce minimum parking space size based on analysis
of average vehicle size in jurisdiction.
4.BTransportation Demand
Management Alternatives
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Can developers use
alternative measures such as
transportation demand management
or in-lieu payments to reduce
required parking?
Goal: Provide flexibility to reduce
parking in exchange for specific
actions that reduce parking
demands on site.
Why: Incentives such as transit
passes, vanpool arrangements,
flexible work schedules, market-
priced facilities, and separate
leasing for spaces in apartments
and condominiums have
quantifiable impacts on parking
demand. Incorporating them into
parking requirements creates the
opportunity to meet demand with
less impervious cover.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Comprehensive/transportation plans recognize
transportation demand management as an approach to
reducing vehicle miles traveled and parking
requirements.
Remove Barriers:
Rather than include parking spaces with an apartment
lease, allow tenants to opt-out by treating parking as a
separate optional lease agreement.
Adopt Incentives:
Allow businesses that offer employee transit passes,
provide vans for employee commuting, allow flexible
working arrangements, or charge market rates for
parking to 1) provide fewer parking spaces or 2) pay less
into a parking district fund for required parking spaces.
Allow developers to make in-lieu fee payments for
parking. Fees utilized by local government/parking
authority to provide off-site parking lots/structures.
Provide mechanisms for car sharing in transit-oriented
41
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development. Where done, area parking requirements
are reduced.
Enact Regulations:
Create a parking district and allow/require businesses to
support public garages rather than provide their own on-
site parking.
Require large developments to adopt transportation
demand management techniques to lower vehicle use
and parking demand.
4.CMinimize Stormwater
From Parking Lots
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Are there
requirements for landscaping
designed to minimize Stormwater in
parking lots?
Goal: Require substantial
landscaping to help reduce runoff.
Why: Parking lots generate a large
amount of impervious cover.
Requiring landscaping reduces the
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Comprehensive plan calls for landscaping in parking lots
to help reduce Stormwater runoff.
Remove Barriers:
Allow alternative or innovative landscaping solutions
that provide Stormwater management functions to count
towards perimeter or other landscaping requirements.
42
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environmental impact of parking
and can provide additional
community benefits by providing
shade and, if appropriately placed,
creating natural barriers between
pedestrians and cars.
Adopt Incentives:
Parking lot landscaping and green roofs on parking
structures credited towards meeting local stormwater
management requirements.
Give additional landscaping credit for preservation of
large, mature trees within parking lots.
Do not count parking structures with green roofs against
the allowable floor area ratio of a site.
Enact Regulations:
Adopt parking lot landscape regulations that require
provision of trees, minimum percent of parking lot
interior area to be landscaped (e.g., 10%), and minimum
sized landscaping areas (e.g., minimum of 25 square feet
for island planting areas).
In parking lot landscaping regulations, specify the types
and sizes of shrubs and trees most appropriate for
controlling/reducing stormwater runoff.
Adopt standards requiring a minimum area of the
parking lot to drain into landscaped areas.
Require the management of runoff from parking lots
through green infrastructure practices, including trees,
vegetated islands, swales, rain gardens, or other
approaches.
Enact specific alternative landscaping and parking
regulations to support infill development (parking
requirements, parking lot landscaping options that focus
on perimeter landscaping to encourage smaller lots,
etc.).
Require parking structures to incorporate green roofs to
43
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reduce stormwater runoff.
Reduce drive aisle widths in parking lots to decrease the
amount of pervious surface. For multi -family
developments, drive aisles can be shared. In commercial
developments, typical drive aisles can be reduced 5-
10%.
Total score for ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT PROVISIONS OF PARKING:
1
40
This section has been reviewed and scored by
(Insert Department name and signee)
RESOURCES
"Parking Spaces/Community Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions" (pg. 14, 18-19, 21), U.S. EPA Development, Community and
Environment Division: http://www.epa.gov/piedpage/pdf/EPAParkingSpaces06.pdf
"Shared Parking, Second Edition," Urban Land Institute: www.uli.org/bookstore/
"Developing Parking Policies to Support Smart Growth in Local Jurisdictions: Best Practices," Metropolitan Transportation Commission:
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking_study/April07/bestpractice_042307.pdf
"Driving Urban Environments: Smart Growth Parking Best Practices," Maryland Governor's Office of Smart Growth:
http://www.smartgrowth.state.md.us/pdf/Final%20Parking%20Paper.pdf
"Design Principles for Parking Lots," Tennessee Valley Authority Economic Development: http://www.tvaed.com/sustainable/parking.htm
Efficient Parking Strategies, Centralina Council of Governments and Catawba Regional Council of Governments:
http://www.epa.gov/region4/airqualitytoolkit/9_CaseStudies/SEQL%20-%20Efficient%20Parking%20Strategies.pdf
"Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and Planning," Victoria Transport Policy Institute: http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf
"Smart Growth Alternatives to Minimum Parking Requirements," Proceedings from the 2nd Urban Street Symposium, July 28-30, 2003:
http: //transtoolkit .mapc. org/Parking/Referenced_pdfs/Forinash_SmartGrowthParking Alternative s .pdf
"Flexible Parking Standards," Georgia Quality Growth Partnership: http://www.dca.state.ga.us/toolkit/ToolDetail.asp?GetTool=17
"Multifunctional Landscaping: Putting Your Parking Lot Design Requirements to Work for Water Quality," University of Illinois Extension:
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/lcr/LGIEN2002-0017.html
"Low-Impact Parking Lot Design Reduces Runoff and Pollutant Loads," Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 2001:
http://cedb.asce.org/cgi/WWWdisplay.cgi70101775
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"Managing Stormwater for Urban Sustainability Using Trees and Structural Soils," Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University:
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/urbanforestry/stormwater/Resources/TreesAndStructuralSoilsManual.pdf
CASE STUDIES
San Mateo County, California's "Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Guidebook" provides policy guidance and design and construction
details, including site layout strategies, green infrastructure design guidelines and case studies for both streets and parking lots:
http://www.flowstobay.org/ms_sustainable_streets.php
Minneapolis, Minnesota's zoning code includes regulations to support pedestrian-oriented off-street parking, including parking maximums, shared parking
allowances, pedestrian-overlay districts with reduced parking requirements, replacing off-street parking spaces with bicycle racks, and more:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/lrtrezoning/tod-haiwatha-09.asp
Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council gives detailed guidance for reducing parking demand and developing parking requirements based on local
factors such as access to transit, expected demographics, auto ownership rates and access to destinations and transit service:
http://transtoolkit.mapc.org/Parking/Strategies/flexiblerequirements.htm
San Diego, California's Community Parking District Program helps older commercial districts collect revenue and implement parking plans to construct
public parking facilities, make public transit enhancements, and maximize off-street parking inventory: http://www.sandiego.gov/economic-
development/business-assistance/small-business/pmd.shtml
Placer County, California enacted an In-Lieu Parking Fee that allows developments within specific parking districts to pay a fee in lieu of complying with
off-street parking standards. The collected fees are then used to construct new public parking spaces within the same parking district:
http: //www .placer. ca.gov/Departments/Works/TahPkng Study/DraftParkingFee Ordinance .aspx
Minnesota's Urban Small Sites Best Management Practice Manual provides drawings, design guidelines and plant lists for impervious surface reduction in
parking lot design: http://km.fao.org/uploads/media/Impervious_surface_reduction_parking_lot_desing .pdf
The retrofit of Our Lady Gate of Heaven Parish parking lot in Chicago, Illinois included a large swale that absorbs 100,000 gallons of runoff per year,
reducing flooding in the parking lot and in nearby streets and properties. This U.S. EPA-funded project continues to be monitored for performance data:
http://www.cnt.org/natural-resources/demonstration-projects/olgh-case-study
The Florida Aquarium Parking Lot and Queuing Garden in Tampa, Florida maximizes existing site vegetation for stormwater management and provides
education to Aquarium visitors. This website includes construction cost information, lessons learned, monitoring results and maintenance protocols:
http://www.sustainablesites.org/cases/show.php?id= 16
Several parking lot demonstration sites in Blacksburg, VA, Ithaca, NY and Davis, CA provide details about newly constructed parking lots and retrofitted
lots that include trees, structural soils and pervious pavements for managing stormwater:
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/urbanforestry/stormwater/DemonstrationSites.html
45
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Section 5: Adopt Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Provisions
5.AGreen Infrastructure
Practices
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Are green
infrastructure practices encouraged
as legal and preferred for managing
Stormwater runoff?
Goal: Make all types of green
infrastructure allowed and legal and
remove all impediments to using
green infrastructure (including for
Stormwater requirements), such as
limits on infiltration in rights-of-
way, permit challenges for green
roofs, safety issues with permeable
pavements, restrictions on the use
of cisterns and rain barrels, and
other such unnecessary barriers.
Why: Green infrastructure
approaches are more effective and
cost efficient than conventional
Stormwater management practices
in many instances, and provide
other substantial community
benefits.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Inform the public, through education and outreach
programs, that green infrastructure practices can manage
Stormwater runoff on their property.
Create a green infrastructure workshop or training
program for internal and external reviewers to ensure
that the stakeholders who use this tool will have the
ability to understand and use it effectively.
Remove Barriers:
Development and other codes encourage and allow
property owners to adopt home-based green
infrastructure practices, such as rain gardens, rain
barrels, and other rainwater harvesting practices.
Review and change, where necessary, building codes or
other local regulations to ensure that all local
government departments/agencies have coordinated with
one another to ensure that green infrastructure
implementation is legal, e.g. remove restrictions on
downspout disconnection.
Adopt Incentives:
Green infrastructure practices credited towards required
controls for Stormwater runoff.
46
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Establish a "Green Tape" expedited review program for
applications that include green infrastructure practices.
Reduce stormwater utility rates based on the use of
green infrastructure practices.
Enact Regulations:
Zoning and subdivision regulations specifically permit
green infrastructure facilities, including but not limited
to: (1 point for each technique to a maximum of 4
points)
-Green roofs;
-Infiltration approaches, such as rain gardens, curb
extensions, planter gardens, permeable and porous
pavements, and other designs where the intent is to
capture and manage stormwater using soils and plants;
-Water harvesting devices, such as rain barrels and
cisterns;
-Downspout disconnection.
Developers are required to meet stormwater
requirements using green infrastructure practices where
site conditions allow. Developers must provide
documentation for sites that do not allow on-site
infiltration, reuse, or evapotranspiration to meet locally
determined performance stormwater management
standards.
I to 4
points
Ito2
points
(2) Question: Do stormwater
management plan reviews take
place early in the development
review process?
Goal: Incorporate stormwater plan
comments and review into the early
stages of development review/site
plan review and approval,
preferably at pre-application
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Encourage/require a pre-site plan meeting with
developers to discuss stormwater management and green
infrastructure approaches.
-Voluntary = 1 point
-Mandatory = 2 points
Include landscape architects in design and review of
stormwater management plans.
Ito2
points
47
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meetings with developers.
Why: Pre-site plan review is an
effective tool for discussing with
developers alternative approaches
for meeting stormwater
requirements. This will incorporate
green infrastructure techniques into
new projects at early design stages,
well before construction begins.
Adopt Incentives:
Provide accelerated review of projects where developer
attended a pre-application meeting.
Enact Regulations:
Preliminary stormwater plan review occurs
contemporaneously with preliminary site plan review
and before any development approvals.
Development applications must include
preliminary/conceptual stormwater management plans
that incorporate green infrastructure elements and
describe how stormwater management standards will be
met.
(3) Question: Do local building
and plumbing codes allow
harvested rainwater for exterior
uses, such as irrigation, and non-
potable interior uses, such as toilet
flushing?
Goal: Ensure that the municipality
allows and encourages stormwater
reuse for non-potable uses.
Why: Stormwater reuse is
important for dense, urban areas
with limited spaces for vegetated
green infrastructure practices.
Adopt Plans/Educate:
Local government provides information
brochures/manual for homeowners describing acceptable
rainwater harvesting techniques.
Remove Barriers:
Local development, building, and plumbing codes
updated to allow reuse of stormwater for non-potable
purposes.
Adopt Incentives:
Reduce stormwater management facility requirements
for developments employing comprehensive rainwater
harvesting.
Reduce stormwater utility rates based on the use of
48
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harvest and reuse techniques.
Enact Regulations:
Require developments to adopt rainwater harvesting
techniques as element of stormwater management plans.
(4) Question: Are provisions
available to meet stormwater
requirements in other ways, such as
off-site management within the
same sewershed or "payment in
lieu" of programs, to the extent that
on-site alternatives are not
technically feasible?
Goal: Allow off-site management
of runoff while still holding
developers responsible for meeting
stormwater management goals.
Why: In some cases, it is
impracticable or infeasible to treat
all or even some of the stormwater
runoff on site. In such instances,
alternative means should be
provided through contribution to
off-site mitigation projects or off-
site stormwater management
facilities (preferably green
infrastructure facilities).
Adopt Plans/Educate:
For infill and redevelopment areas, off-site green
stormwater management plans should be developed in
cooperation between local government and
landowner/developers. Allowing off-site management of
stormwater runoff requires sewershed designation within
the local government to ensure that true mitigation is
possible and realize the equal stormwater management
and water quality benefits through off-site management.
Retrofit projects that will utilize green infrastructure
stormwater management techniques should be identified
and prioritized within the sewershed.
Remove Barriers:
Amend stormwater management regulations and
development codes as necessary to allow off-site
stormwater management, especially for infill and
redevelopment areas.
Enact Regulations:
Establish system that allows/requires payment-in-lieu
fees for off-site stormwater management facilities. Fees
should be set sufficiently high as to cover the true cost of
off-site management. Consider limitations on amount of
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off-site management allowed (more for infill areas, less
for greenfield sites).
5.BMaintenance/Enforcement
Tools and Policies
Points
Available
Points
Received or
N/A
Notes and Local References
(1) Question: Does your
stormwater ordinance include
monitoring, tracking, and
maintenance requirements for
stormwater management practices?
Goal: Incorporate monitoring,
tracking, and maintenance
requirements for stormwater
management practices into your
municipal stormwater ordinance.
Why: These measures will help
ensure that the successful tracking
and monitoring of green
infrastructure practices and remain
in proper working condition to
provide the performance required
by the stormwater ordinance.
Adopt Plans/Educate
Develop a system to monitor and track stormwater
management practices deployed at greenfield and
redevelopment sites. Tracking of management practices
should begin during the plan review and approval
process with a database or geographic information
system (GIS). The database should include both public
and private projects.
Provide model checklist for maintenance protocols for
ease of inspection, tracking, and enforcement.
Sponsor demonstration projects for green infrastructure
management best practices.
Remove Barriers:
Ensure that proper local agencies have authority to
enforce maintenance requirements.
Adopt Incentives:
Create self-inspection maintenance certification
program that allows developers/landowners to
train/retain private inspectors to certify compliance
with stormwater management plans and long-term
maintenance.
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Enact Regulations:
Require long-term maintenance agreements that allow
for public inspections of the management practices and
account for transfer of responsibility in leases and/or
deed transfers.
Conduct inspections every 3 to 5 years, prioritizing
properties that pose the highest risk to water quality,
inspecting at least 20% of approved facilities annually.
Develop a plan approval and post-construction
verification process to ensure compliance with
stormwater standards, including enforceable
procedures for bringing noncompliant projects into
compliance.
Inspections of construction sites occur at for at least
25% of permitted projects to ensure proper installation
of approved practices.
Require conservation/green infrastructure bond/escrow
in zoning/subdivision ordinances to ensure
installation/maintenance of green infrastructure storm
water management facilities.
Total score for GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
PROVISIONS:
37
This section has been reviewed and scored by
(Insert Department name and signee)
RESOURCES
Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook, U.S. EPA Green Infrastructure website: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/munichandbook.cfm
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A Catalyst for Community Land Use Change, National NEMO Network 2008 Progress Report with local regulations for water quality protection:
http://nemonet.uconn.edu/about_network/publications/2008_report.htm
Public Entity Environmental Management System Resource Center: http://peercenter.net/
Environmental Management System, U.S. EPA: http://epa.gov/ems/
"The Economics of Low-Impact Development: A Literature Review," EcoNorthwest: http://www.econw.com/reports/ECONorthwest_Low-Impact-
Development-Economics-Literature-Review.pdf
"Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact Development (LID) Strategies and Practices," U.S. EPA Office of Water:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/costs07/
New York City's PlaNYC for Water: http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/plan/water.shtml
Puget Sound Partnership Low Impact Development Local Regulation Assistance Project:
http://www.psparchives.com/our_work/stormwater/lid/lid_regs.htm
Massachusetts Low Impact Development Toolkit: http://www.mapc.org/regional_planning/LID/PDFs/LID%20Local%20Codes%20Checklist.pdf
Plan Review checklist and flow chart, Office of Watersheds, Philadelphia Water Department:
http://www.phillyriverinfo.org/WICLibrary/DevelopmentProcess_Final.pdf
General Factors that Influence the Selection of Stormwater Management Facilities, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services:
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=129055
Operations and Maintenance of Treatment Best Management Practices, Santa Clara Valley Urban Pollution Prevention Program: http://www.scvurppp-
w2k.com/om_workproduct_links.htm
Stormwater Center Maintenance Agreements Guidance and Case Studies:
http://www.stormwatercenter.net/Manual_Builder/Maintenance_Manual/4Maintenance_Agreements/Maintenance%20Agreements%20Introduction.htm
CASE STUDIES
Alachua County, Florida's Stormwater regulation requires that developers reduce impervious surfaces via vertical construction and alternative parking
surfaces and use site contours and minimize disturbance to existing natural features: http://growth-
management.alachua.fl.us/compplanning/amended_docs/ORDsto rmCPA-06-01final.pdf
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Stormwater regulation requires that projects infiltrate/manage the first 1" of rainfall from all directly connected impervious
surfaces and exempts redevelopment projects from flood control and channel protection requirements:
http://www.phillyriverinfo.org/Programs/SubprogramMain.aspx?Id=Regulations
Portland, Oregon's Stormwater requirement uses a mandatory hierarchy that requires on-site infiltration with surface vegetation above all other practices
http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=35122 (Chapter 1, page 1-18)
Emeryville, California's Stormwater guidelines for dense green redevelopment provide guidance on using green infrastructure in high density, infill sites:
http: //ca-emery ville .civicplus. com/DocumentVie w. asp?DID= 144
Portland, Oregon's Ecoroof Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Bonus allows developers to increase a building's footprint or floor area for projects that include an
ecoroof: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?a=236916&c=48725
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Chicago Department of Construction and Permits has a Green Permit Program that offers expedited permits and waived permit review fees for projects
that meet a series of green building requirements, including exceptional water management and green roof criteria:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/GreenPermitBrochurel.pdf
Tucson, Arizona's Water Harvesting Guidance Manual describes how the City's code requirements for water harvesting help to meet several other local
codes, such as for landscaping, floodplain and erosion hazard management, and stormwater management:
http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/stormwater/education/waterharvest.php (page 26)
San Francisco, California's Public Utilities, Department of Building Inspection and Department of Public Health partnered to allow the use of rainwater
for irrigation and toilet flushing without requiring treatment to potable standards: http://sfwater.org/mto_main.cfm/MC_ID/14/MSC_ID/361/MTO_ID/559
Seattle, Washington's Green Factor is an amended landscape requirement that property owners meet via a scoring system that encourages green features
such as large plants, permeable pavement, green roofs, vegetated walls and tree preservation: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/permits/greenfactor/Overview/
San Jose, California's stormwater regulation requires that projects with 10,000 square feet or more of impervious surface area use landscape-based
treatment and trees to meet quantity and quality standards: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/stormwater/Policy_6-29_Memo_Revisions.pdf
Santa Monica, California's stormwater code requires that new development projects maximize permeable areas, maximize runoff to permeable areas, reuse
stormwater, and reduce parking lot pollution: http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/Categories/Urban_Runoff/UR_Brochure.pdf
Chicago, Illinois's stormwater regulation requires that new developments manage 0.5" runoff from all impervious surfaces or reduce imperviousness by
15%: http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/StormwaterManagementOrdinance 1206.pdf
Lenexa, Kansas's stormwater regulation requires new developments to manage 1.37" for water quality using a natural system treatment train approach and
also charges a fee for water quantity management which pays for watershed-scale public projects managed by the City:
http://www.ci.lenexa.ks.us/LenexaCode/viewXRefasp?Index=2927
Fauquier County, Virginia's stormwater maintenance agreements state that if maintenance is neglected the County has the authority to perform the work
and recover costs from the property owner: http://www.fauquiercounty.gov/documents/departments/commdev/pdf/SWMOrdinance.pdf (pages 12-13)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Stormwater Management Guidance Manual provides maintenance guidelines and schedules for a range of green
infrastructure practices, from green roofs to pervious pavements and subsurface infiltration:
http://www.phillyriverinfo.org/Programs/SubprogramMain.aspx?Id=StormwaterManual
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Development, Community and Environment Division (EPA's Smart Growth Program) prepared this scorecard in
cooperation with the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
Principal Authors:
Abby Hall and Lynn Richards
Contributors and Reviewers:
U.S. EPA Development. Community and Environment Division
Matthew Dalbey
Lynn Desautels
Kevin Nelson
Megan Susman
John Thomas
Clark Wilson
U.S. EPA Office of Wetlands. Oceans and Watersheds
Rebecca Oils
Robert Goo
Lisa Hair
Dov Weitman
U.S. EPA Office of Wastewater Management
Jennifer Molloy
U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Sylvia Malm
U.S. EPA Regions
Paula Estornell
Gregory Voigt
External Reviewers
Glen Abrams, Philadelphia Water Department
Michael Beezhold, Water shed Manager, Lenexa, Kansas
Michael Berkshire, Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Stephen Hofstetter, Environmental Protection Department, Alachua County,
Florida
Jessica Cogan Millman, Executive Director, National Association of Local
Government Environmental Professionals
Chris Duerksen, Clarion Associates
Frank Gray, Director of Community and Economic Development, Salt Lake
City, Utah
Greg McPherson, USDA Forest Service
Lisa Nisenson, Nisenson Consulting
Jeffrey Seltzer, District of Columbia Department of Transportation
Nancy Stoner, Natural Resources Defense Council Clean Water Program
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