Encouraging low-impact-development stormwater-management practices / Assabet River Watershed sub-basin case study

Abstract

Regulatory codes and ordinances create a framework that guide stormwater management decision processes. These regulations are designed to protect the health and safety of the public and to preserve the natural integrity of the environment. Using a case-study approach in Acton, Massachusetts, a two-part examination is performed. The first is a comprehensive review of Acton's developmental code and ordinances. The second part of the study is a site redevelopment design using LID technologies for site-level stormwater management. To facilitate the regulatory review, a code and ordinance worksheet (COW) developed by The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) was used to evaluate Acton's regulations against the CWP's twenty-two model development principles. Acton's score was then compared to previously completed worksheets from eighteen other eastern seaboard communities. The Discovery Museums, a children's museum in Acton, was chosen for the site redevelopment. The museum expressed a desire to remove an existing parking area and reconfigure another lot to absorb the displaced spaces. The EPA's Low-Impact Development Design Strategies manual was used to guide the museum site planning and design development. The design evaluation included comprehensive hydrologic and water quality analyses to determine pre- and post- development performance. The results of the regulatory review demonstrate that Acton's existing developmental codes and ordinances do not presently encourage LID practices and have only a 62% agreement with the CWP model development principles. The museum site redevelopment design proves that site-level stormwater management technologies can be incorporated into the site landscape and be used to return the site's hydrologic volume, rate, and water quality to a pre-developed condition.