United States
Environmental Protection
^1 M % Agency
2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
City of Gary
Gary, IN
Conceptual
Green
Infrastructure
Design and
Community
Engagement
in Gary, Indiana
GARY, INDIANA
Project Summary
The City of Gary is situated on the
shores of Lake Michigan adjacent to the
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It has
a population of approximately 80,000
and is located on the eastern portion of
the Chicago metropolitan area in Lake
County, Indiana. Like in many post-
industrial cities, members of Gary's
community are engaged with addressing
vacant and blighted properties. More
than one third of properties are
considered blighted,1 which provides
opportunities to redefine land uses
within the city. One of the many
considerations is how stormwater
management can be incorporated into
the overall planning forvacant property
and changing land uses. The Gary
Department of Green Urbanism and
Stormwater is one of the entities
investigating the concept of
concurrently managing stormwater,
removing blight, creating sustainable
growth, and greening the city. To help
further this concept, the City of Gary
applied for and received U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Technical Assistance, which aims to
support the expanded use of green
infrastructure. With technical assistance,
the City of Gary sought to develop
strategies to reduce stormwater to their
overwhelmed combined sewer system
through green infrastructure
incorporated into streets and vacant
parcels. Additionally, it was important to
draw in the public to gain support for
green infrastructure and help develop
the program.
As a result of the technical assistance
provided by EPA, a set of tools was
developed for the City of Gary to engage
community members in understanding,
and subsequently planning for, green
infrastructure throughout the city. The
tools include a Community Engagement
Framework forthe green infrastructure
initiative and design concepts forthe
green retrofit of two key streets (i.e.
Lake Street and Aetna Street). The
Community Engagement Framework is
provided as a report, and the design
concepts are provided through a
PowerPoint presentation and a handout
that can be adapted by other
communities as green infrastructure
support. These materials will assist the
City of Gar/, and potentially other
communities, in green infrastructure
outreach and implementation pursuits.
1 Bentley, Chris. "How Gary, Indiana, Got Serious About Tackling Blight." From the Atlantic: Citylab. February 26, 2015. Last Accessed
on July 2, 2015. http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/02/how-gary-indiana-got-serious-about-tackling-blight/386159/

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2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Gary, IN
2
Outreach Tools for the City of Gary
Community Engagement
Framework
The Community Engagement
Framework document proposes a
community engagement plan built
around educational activities and on-
the-ground green infrastructure
projects. The approach includes defining
green infrastructure goals and
objectives, identifying individuals and
groups who can help or hinderthe
program, determining stakeholder roles,
and proceeding with stakeholder
engagement. Engagement strategies
range from direct approaches, such as
working with existing partners and
piggybacking, to indirect approaches,
such as engagement through the media,
focus groups, and other venues.
Engaging and involving stakeholders
and community organizations in a
structured program to promote and
implement green infrastructure offers an
approach for leveraging resources
effectively and efficiently.
Community Engagement Process
for Urban Stormwater Programs
Focus Group
Input
Piggy-
backing
Individual
Approaches
Thru Existing
Partners
Targeted
Outreach
Media Aware-
ness/Education
Indirect Engagement
Direct Engagement
Flooding
Poor Water Quality
Identify Broad Green
Infrastructure Goals
Analyze and Select Potential
Objectives and Practices
Describe/Deli neate Stormwater
Management Problems
Define Groups That Can Promote
or Prevent Implementation
Decide How to Engage Group(s) in
Key Implementation Projects
Determine Desired GroupRole(s)
in Implementation
Engage Groups, Conduct Activities, and Evaluate Results
Following this process fosters a high level of community engagement throughout planning and
implementing green infrastructure solutions.

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2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Gary, IN
3
Outreach Tools for the City of Gary
Green Infrastructure Design
Concepts on Lake Street and
Aetna Street
A site visit and follow-up green
infrastructure opportunity analysis were
completed on Aetna Street from US-12
to E 15th Avenue and on Lake Street
from Juniper Avenue to E 13th Avenue.
The primary hydrologic goal of including
green infrastructure along these
corridors is to remove stormwater
volume from the existing combined
sewer system to decrease combined
sewer overflows and basement backups.
To maximize the reduction of
stormwater runoff, green infrastructure
opportunities were conceptualized to
the maximum extent within the
available right-of-way space and in
vacant parcels along Aetna Street and
Lake Street. The locations and practice
types were further refined following a
public review meeting on October 14,
2014.
Drainage areas along these corridors
were delineated and runoff volumes
estimated using discrete storm events
and approximately 30 years of daily
rainfall record based on NRCS curve
number hydrology calculations. Detailed
information on the NRCS Curve Number
approach is available in the NRCS Part
630 National Engineering Handbook.
Soil information was provided by the
city; soils in the project areas are
predominately Hydrologic Soil Group A
soils, meaning that a high rate of
infiltration can be assumed forthe
runoff and green infrastructure practice
sizing calculations. Rainfall data are
based on the Gary, Indiana NOAA
National Weather Service monitoring
site. Precipitation frequency data are
based on NOAA Atlas 14 dataset.
Conceptual-level unit costs were applied
to the green infrastructure concepts
using Midwest bid prices and then
adjusted to current Gary construction
dollars. The concepts and unit costs
applied on Aetna Street and Lake Street
can serve as a template to be applied to
other streets within the city.
To engage the community in planning
for green infrastructure along these
street corridors, as well as in other
locations around the city, tools for the
City of Gary included a presentation and
handout. The materials are intended for
a non-technical audience, including the
general public, city staff, and public
officials. The presentation and handout
provide a brief introduction of
stormwater management approaches
and specific green infrastructure
practices before describing the Aetna
Street and Lake Street concepts. Design
illustrations were developed for several
different types of practices along Aetna
Street and Lake Street allowing the
audience to visualize what these
projects might look like upon
completion
Example design for a typical rain garden.
Rendering of Lake Street with bioretentiori and curb cuts.

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2013 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Gary, IN
4
About the Green Infrastructure Technical
Assistance Program
Stormwater runoff is a major cause of
water pollution in urban areas. When
rain falls in undeveloped areas, soil and
plants absorb and filter the water. When
rain falls on our roofs, streets, and
parking lots, however, the water cannot
soak into the ground. In most urban
areas, stormwater is drained through
engineered collection systems and
discharged into nearby water bodies.
The stormwater carries trash, bacteria,
heavy metals, and other pollutants from
the urban landscape, polluting the
receiving waters. Higher flows also can
cause erosion and flooding in urban
streams, damaging habitat, property,
and infrastructure.
Green infrastructure uses vegetation,
soils, and natural processes to manage
water and create healthier urban
environments. At the scale of a city or
county, green infrastructure refers to the
patchwork of natural areas that provides
habitat, flood protection, cleaner air,
and cleaner water. At the scale of a
neighborhood or site, green
infrastructure refers to stormwater
management systems that mimic nature
by soaking up and storing water. These
neighborhood or site-scale green
infrastructure approaches are often
referred to as low impact development.
stormwater runoff. In April 2011 EPA
renewed its commitment to green
infrastructure with the release of the
Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters and
Build More Livable Communities through
Green Infrastructure. The agenda
identifies technical assistance as a key
activity that EPA will pursue to
accelerate the implementation of green
infrastructure. In October 2013 EPA
released a new Strategic Agenda
renewing the Agency's support for green
infrastructure and outlining the actions
the Agency intends to take to promote
its effective implementation. The
agenda is the product of a cross-EPA
effort and builds upon both the 2011
Strategic Agenda and the 2008 Action
Strategy.
EPA is continuing to provide technical
assistance to communities working to
overcome common barriers to green
infrastructure. Selected communities
received assistance with a range of
projects aimed at addressing common
barriers to green infrastructure,
including code review, green
infrastructure design, and cost-benefit
assessments.
For more information, visit
www.epa.gov/qreeninfrastructure.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) encourages using green
infrastructure to help manage
Acknowledgements
Principal EPA Team
Bob Newport, EPA Region 5
Jamie Piziali, EPA
Christopher Kloss, EPA
Tamara Mittman, EPA
Community Team
Brenda Scott-Henry, City of
Gary
Dan Vicari, City of Gary
Lori Peterson, City of Gary
Arlene Colvin, City of Gary
Consultant Team
Anne Thomas, Tetra Tech
Dan Christian, Tetra Tech
Martina Frey, Tetra Tech
John Kosco, Tetra Tech
This report was developed under EPA
Contract No. EP-C-11-oog as part of
the 2013 EPA Green Infrastructure
Technical Assistance Program.
EPA-832-R-17-008

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