Featured
in the November 2004 Fairfax Chronicle
and North County Chronicle
A Stormwater
Retrofit at the Providence Supervisor's Office
By
Linda Q. Smyth (D) Providence District Supervisor
Thomas
Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
With that in mind, Michael Aho of my staff and I sat down
with the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental
Services (DPWES) and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water
Conservation District to design a low impact development (LID)/
best management practices (BMP) project for Fire Station 30
(Merrifield) where the Providence District Supervisor's Office
is located.
I am
proud to report that the Virginia Department of Conservation
and Recreation grant for which we applied has been awarded
to my office. We have received $40,000 from the department
as part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Grant program. Without
the support of our grant project partners, this project could
not happen. Matching contributions of staff time and supplies
are being provided by my office, the DPWES and the Soil and
Water Conservation District.
The project,
entitled "Demonstrating Innovation: A Stormwater Retrofit
at the Providence Supervisor's Office," will feature
three LID/BMP devices for installation at my office. The three
devices for this project include a rain garden/bioretention
area (1,405 sq. ft.), a green roof (240 sq. ft.) and installation
of permeable pavers (1,527 sq. ft.). These devices will eliminate
up to 50% of the stormwater runoff from the parking lot at
Fire Station 30.
Our motivation
for applying for the grant was founded in the realization
that it is time for Fairfax County to start demonstrating
low impact development. Other counties - such as Arlington,
Prince William and Loudoun - have already started using LID
on their county-owned facilities and sites. In our initiative,
we will develop educational materials that can be used to
raise community and developer awareness about the benefits
of retrofitting LID concepts on developed sites, as well as
in new development. Such materials will include a brochure,
newsletter
articles,
a Web site and signs on the property.
We also
will integrate the project into existing community/education
events. Primarily the Providence
District Environmental Workshop,
hosted annually by my office, will allow for full exposure
of the project and its related educational materials. The
workshop is held each spring, and April 2, 2005, will mark
the 6th annual event.
In addition,
we will develop a plan to monitor the performance of the LID
techniques implemented at the project site. Through the DPWES,
the site will be added to the list of monitoring sites already
visited by county staff.
Finally,
the project team will write a report on the challenges and
positive aspects of completing an innovative stormwater retrofit
project at a Fairfax County-owned site. Throughout the process,
questions on permits, public facilities manual challenges,
partnership opportunities and logistics may arise. A report
on these items should be helpful for future efforts in this
area.
The outcomes
that will result from this project are: 1) a demonstration
of LID concepts and technologies that will promote implementation
of LID concepts throughout the county, and in other areas
of Virginia at both public and private sites; 2) increased
awareness and public knowledge of LID/BMPs and the steps necessary
to retrofit a site with similar devices; 3) a long-term conceptual
plan that will allow for future site modifications and monitoring
efforts and 4) awareness of fire station-related pollutants
and the possibilities of lessening their negative impacts
through implementation of LID/BMPs.
In the
coming months, I look forward to putting on my overalls and
working with our grant partners to bring these visible low
impact development initiatives to life. We expect to begin
construction of the projects in mid-spring 2005. In the future,
I hope the projects at my office will serve as a catalyst
for future low impact development techniques across Fairfax
County and our surrounding jurisdictions. For updates and
more information, please call Michael Aho in my office at
703-560-6946 or visit my Web site.
Chronicle
Newspapers Article - November 2004
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