20220615-002b: EVC Briefing - 2022 Environmental Code Amendments — original pdf

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2022 Environmental Code Amendments Briefing to the Environmental Commission J u n e 1 5 , 2 0 2 2 C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T Council Resolution #20220609-061 D i r e c t s C i t y M a n a g e r t o a c t o n e nv i ro n m e n t a l a n d d r a i n a g e c o n c e r n s a n d eva l u a t e i m p a c t s o f p ro p o s e d p ro c e s s a n d c o d e c h a n g e s o n a f f o r d a b i l i t y, h o u s i n g, a n d c o s t • • • Bring forth a plan to address environmental equity Increase monitoring of high risk/industrial sites Process improvements to better address high bacteria levels in creeks related to leaky wastewater infrastructure Bring forth code amendments related to environmental protection and flood reduction: • Subset of code changes identified by previous Land Development Code revision process • • Minor revisions and inconsistencies • • Improve protections for Colorado River downstream of the Longhorn Dam Evaluate impacts to housing C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 2 Affected Land Development Code (LDC) Chapters L D C C h a p t e r 2 5- 2 ( Z o n i n g ) • Landscape requirements (Functional Green) • DSD is lead department L D C 2 5- 7 ( D r a i n a g e ) • No adverse impact (greenfield detention requirements) 2 5- 8 S u b c h a p t e r A ( Wa t e r Q u a l i t y ) • Slopes • Wetland • Waterway buffers • Water quality M a p o f Wa t e r s h e d R e g u l a t i o n A r e a s C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 3 A l l c o d e / c r i t e r i a / s t a n d a r d s m a n u a l s a r e o n l i n e a t h t t p s : / / l i b r a r y . m u n i c o d e . c o m / t x / a u s t i n Why revise the Land Development Code? L and D evel opment C ode Rewri te process i den ti f ied many changes i n c l u ded i n IF C - Many environmental and flood reduction items were identified by the community and staff during CodeNext & subsequent LDC rewrite until lawsuit stopped the process - No major code changes to environmental rules have occurred since 2013 WPO and 2014 Lakefront Development Ordinance - Broad support among environmental stakeholders Supporters • Envi ronment Texas • Go Austi n, Vam os Austi n (GAVA) • The Natu re Conser vancy • POD ER • Save B ar ton Spri ngs • Si e rra Cl ub C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 4 Key Subject Areas • F uncti on al Green • Storm water • Implement Functional Green requirements for properties with more than 80% allowable impervious cover • Establish criteria that prioritize when green stormwater methods should be required or incentivized over conventional stormwater controls • Require surface parking lot stormwater to enter pervious parking lot islands, landscaped medians, and perimeter landscapes as a method of water quality and require that pavement be graded to allow runoff to enter planting areas • Allow cisterns to be sized beyond the required storm capture amount and remove requirement for stormwater release so that they can supply irrigation needs throughout the year • Require new and redeveloped projects to use greenfield conditions as a baseline when calculating • Prohibit in-channel detention ponds, except for capital projects or private/public partnerships where no drainage requirements other alternative is feasible C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 5 Key Subject Areas • Mi scel l aneous Envi ronmental • Require that all subdivisions and site plans in Urban Watersheds meet steep slope protections • Require projects to relocate replaced or upsized wastewater pipes outside of the inner half of the critical • Provide wetland protections and buffers equally along Lady Bird Lake to help to stabilize and prevent water quality zone erosion along the shoreline • Require utility easements to meet the same standards as utility pipes within the creeks and creek buffers • Address current environmental code inconsistencies and other minor code revisions in Chapters 25-7 and 25-8 that staff have previously identified and reviewed as part of the Code Next and the Land Development Code revision processes • The City Council directs the City Manager to evaluate the effectiveness of existing Critical Water Quality Zone and Erosion Hazard Zone buffers on the Colorado River downstream of the Longhorn Dam and to propose protections that will provide adequate protections to the river that will ensure a healthy riparian corridor to stabilize the riverbank and protect property from erosion C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 6 Balance code and process changes with impacts to affordability, housing, costs • Affordab i l ity Im pact Anal ysi s • F i scal Impact Anal ys i s • Costs of doi ng n othi ng • Addi ti onal consi derati on s for chan ge s re l ate d to gre e nfi el d condi ti on s for drai n age re qui rements, expans i on of s l ope protecti on s to Urban wate r s heds • Ensure that code ch anges do n ot i nce nti vi ze s i ngl e f ami ly homes over smal l scal e mi ss i n g m i ddl e proj ects C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 7 Timeline September Items C o d e c h a n g e s u n r e l a t e d t o G r e e n f i e l d d r a i n a g e r e q u i r e m e n t s a n d s t e e p s l o p e p r o t e c t i o n s • J u n e 1 5 – B r i e f i n g t o E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o m m i s s i o n N ovem be r Item s C o d e c h a n g e s r e l a t e d t o g r e e n f i e l d d r a i n a g e r e q u i r e m e n t s , e x p a n d e d s t e e p s l o p e p r o t e c t i o n , a n d e n s u r i n g c o d e d o e s n o t d i s i n c e n t i v i z e m i s s i n g m i d d l e o v e r s i n g l e f a m i l y J u n e 1 5 – B r i e f i n g t o E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o m m i s s i o n • A u g u s t 1 7 – J o i n t C o m m i t t e e C o d e s a n d • A u g u s t T B D S t a k e h o l d e r E n g a g e m e n t O r d i n a n c e s C o m m i s s i o n • A u g u s t 3 o r S e p t e m b e r 7 – E n v i r o n m e n t a l • • S e p t e m b e r 1 3 – P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n S e p t e m b e r 2 2 – C i t y C o u n c i l S e p t e m b e r 2 1 – J o i n t C o m m i t t e e C o d e s a n d O r d i n a n c e s • O c t o b e r 5 – E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o m m i s s i o n • O c t o b e r 2 5 – P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n • N o v e m b e r 3 – C i t y C o u n c i l • • C I T Y O F A U S T I N W A T E R S H E D P R O T E C T I O N D E P A R T M E N T 8