TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Tony Olmos, Public Works Director
Raul Saenz, Utilities Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Resolution No. 15-0013 Approving and Adopting the Green Streets Policy As Required by Law (Public Works Director Olmos).
ADOPT
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 15-0013 to approve Green Streets Policy.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of future City Public Right-of-Way Capital Improvement Projects will increase to accommodate construction of stormwater retention facilities that comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit.
BACKGROUND:
On November 8, 2012, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) adopted the fourth NPDES Permit under the Federal Clean Water Act for discharges from the municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) within the coastal watersheds of Los Angeles County (Permit). The Permit became effective on December 28, 2012. The Permit identifies conditions, requirements and programs that municipalities must comply with to protect regional water resources from adverse impacts associated with pollutants in stormwater and urban runoff.
The City of Manhattan Beach is a named Permittee subject to the Permit. A condition of Regional Board approval of the Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) is that all participating Permittees must establish and implement a "Green Streets Policy" and include reference to it in the City's Municipal Code (Title 5 - Sanitation and Health, Chapter 5.84 - Storm Water and Urban Runoff Pollution Control).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Manhattan Beach is pursuing the development and implementation of a EWMP consistent with the Permit and in cooperation with the cities of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance along with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. As required by the Permit, a draft EWMP plan will be submitted to the Regional Board for review by June 28, 2015. A condition of Regional Board approval of the EWMP is that all participating Permittees must have Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinances and Green Street Policies enacted by the time of the draft EWMP submittal.
LID is an approach to new development and redevelopment projects that work to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. LID employs structural features, such as bioretention facilities, rain gardens, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, and permeable pavements that minimize effective imperviousness to create functional and appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product. The Green Streets Policy must be referenced in the LID Ordinance. The Policy is intended to be a commitment on the part of the City to implement Green Street Best Management Practices (BMPs) on street and roadway projects, and public works capital improvement projects to the maximum extent practicable.
The Draft Green Street Policy
The following summarizes key features of the draft Policy:
· Applies to the following types of projects:
o New public and private street construction projects that include 10,000 square feet or more of impervious surface area.
o Redevelopment of streets resulting in the creation or replacement of 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface area on an already developed site.
· Utilizes the County of Los Angeles Low Impact Development Standards Manual as the design reference for selected Green Street BMPs.
· Use of the EWMP to identify opportunities for Green Street BMP retrofits.
· Incorporates of stormwater mitigation provisions in street and road development and redevelopment projects.
· Incorporate aspects of Green Streets into internal annual staff training of targeted staff.
At their request, a draft copy of the Green Street Policy was submitted to the Regional Board for their review and input prior to City Council adoption to assure that the City is compliant with the Permit. Based on discussions with the Regional Board, staff anticipates Regional Board approval of the draft Green Street Policy. It is anticipated that if Regional Board has any comments, they will be minor and easily incorporated before the Green Street Policy is enacted.
POLICY ALTERNATIVES:
The Green Street Policy is regulation driven as a compliance requirement of the current NPDES Permit under the Federal Clean Water Act for discharges from the municipal separate storm sewer systems. Given the prescriptive nature of the regulation, the City is not at liberty to customize an alternate Green Street Policy.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
City Staff involved in private and public development and redevelop construction projects will be provided training on the key elements of the Green Street Policy in order to provide assistance to developers and consultants through the permit approval process. Supplemental information will also be provided to developers and consultants in the form of an information memo, in addition to them with the City's website address that directs them to the Green Street Policy.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve Resolution No. 15-0013 and adopt Green Streets Policy.
Attachment:
1. Exhibit A - Resolution No. 15-0013