| Title: | Impervious Surface Fees: A Model for Small Town Planners in Massachusetts |
| Authors: | Michael Cote, UMass-Amherst & Vermont Law School |
| Date/Time: | Wednesday, September 24 ~ 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Abstract: | "This project will demonstrate how to create an effective impervious surface fee structure that planners of small towns in Massachusetts with limited resources can adopt. The main purpose of adopting a fee is to lower the impacts of non-point source pollutants on water quality without constraining a town's fiscal and human resources. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes the leading threat to water resources is non-point source (NPS) pollution such as asbestos from brake dust, tire wear, toxic fluid drips and leaks from vehicles, road sand and salt etc. Stormwater carries these pollutants into surface waters and is a major source of pollution for all water body types in the US. The impacts of NPS pollution increases with land development and increased urbanization. While Massachusetts's 'Stormwater Guidelines for Planners' provides guidence to control this pollution, it is not enough. Stormwater runoff volumes have increased significantly due to the amount of impervious surfaces from increased suburbanization and urbanization. Southborough, Massachusetts was selected as a study area for four reasons: 1) It is the location of the Sudbury Reservoir, an emergency backup drinking water reservoir for metropolitan Boston 2) Southborough is located in the fastest developing region in the state, the I-495 MetroWest corridor 3) A fee structure could provide a creative model for small town planners to mirror and spur developers to implement better planning and development techniques such as low impact development, best management practices, green infrastructure etc 4) Empower municipalities with the proper tools (ie GIS) to control both sprawl and water quality. The project concludes that, while other methodologies exist for planners to adopt, such as changing zoning by-laws, the methods discussed here show that GIS software provides an efficient alternative to political solutions. |
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