AGENDA DATE: 1/9/2019
TITLE:
Title
Stream Health in Development Areas
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Discuss proposals for improving stream health in the County’s Development Areas. Receive direction from the Board regarding actions to take on the proposals.
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Kamptner, Graham, Hannah
PRESENTER (S): David Hannah, Frank Pohl, Bill Fritz
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: During a work session on December 6, 2017, the Board approved staff recommendations to develop proposals for improving stream health and water quality in the County. The work was to be done in two phases: the County’s Development Areas would be addressed in phase one, followed by work on the Rural Area in phase two. Staff recently completed developing proposals for phase one, including discussions and meetings with the public, and now seeks Board direction on implementation of recommendations.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Natural Resources Stewardship: Thoughtfully protect and manage Albemarle County’s ecosystems and natural resources in both the rural and development areas to safeguard the quality of life of current and future generations.
DISCUSSION: Staff conducted a public review of the County’s stream buffer regulations in 2017, culminating in a work session with the Board on December 6, 2017. In 2018, staff shifted the focus of their efforts to begin considering potential strategies and measures to improve stream health in the Development Areas while remaining true to the County’s Growth Management Policy. None of the strategies or measures considered should limit or hinder growth and development in the County’s Development Areas.
Staff reviewed the results and material from the 2017 public review process, analyzed other information, and conducted internal discussions. In October 2018, staff developed a set of thirteen proposals aimed at improving stream health in Development Areas. Attachment A is a list of the proposals as presented to the public in subsequent meetings. Attachment A also contains notes (highlighted in yellow) that help clarify and explain some of the proposals and address questions that were commonly asked during meetings.
During October and November of 2018, staff solicited public comments and feedback about the proposals. Staff participated in several Community Advisory Committee meetings, conducted a public meeting, held two small group meetings, and offered an online survey for people to provide ideas and comments.
After this public engagement process, staff continued to analyze the proposals and consider the public input received. Attachment B lists the stream health proposals and includes significant pros, cons, and observations and comments (if any) about each.
Attachment C is a brief summary report describing the process by which the proposals were developed and evaluated. The summary report also includes staff recommendations, with very brief explanations, of the actions that staff feels should be taken on each of the proposals.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budget impact at this time. Future recommendations and decisions regarding stream health proposals, including implementation and compliance, could have significant budget impacts. Based on current priorities and workload, staff anticipates this will require a reprioritization of efforts rather than a request for additional staff or funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff seeks direction from the Board regarding actions to take on the stream health proposals in Attachment A. Staff recommends the Board follow the recommendations provided in Attachment C for staff actions on the proposals.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Stream Health Proposals with Notations
Attachment B: Stream Health Proposals - Pros and Cons
Attachment C: Summary Report on Stream Health Proposals