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Resolution - Austin Environmental Board
Austin Environmental Board Resolution
The Environmental Board is concerned about the detrimental environmental effects of development projects that claim to be exempt from the current (SOS) water quality ordinance by reason of pre-existing agreements and/or state legislation. The Board accordingly makes the following recommendations for such development projects within the City of AustinÃs jurisdiction:
1. "Big Box" retail and major employer projects are particularly undesirable in the recharge and contributing zones because of the increased environmental sensitivity of these areas to stormwater runoff and accidental hazardous material spillage; therefore developers should be encouraged to locate such projects off the aquifer. These projects not only produce high impervious cover and excessive pollutant loads from parking lots, but they also significantly increase off-site vehicular traffic, which exacerbates pollution from roadways (which, in most cases, are not retrofitted for even rudimentary water quality controls). In addition, these projects can cause concomitant degradation in quality of life through light and noise pollution and increased traffic congestion.
2. Minimum development standards should be adopted as goals for environmental protection for all development in the Barton Springs recharge and contributing zones. The City Council and/or the appropriate Land Use Commission should strive to attain these goals using any appropriate means.
a) SOS Water Quality Controls to meet the standard of non-degradation should be the minimum acceptable standard. Any permitted development that does not meet these standards will by definition pollute the aquifer and degrade both drinking water for area residents and habitat for endangered species.
b) Impervious Cover limits: If SOS limits are not attainable within the tract proposed for development, the excess impervious cover should be mitigated in the immediate vicinity or within the same watershed.
c) Karst features identified as Critical Environmental Features should be protected with development setbacks for all new construction, as recommended by City of Austin Environmental Resource Management staff. These features allow direct pollutant input to the aquifer and must be given special consideration.
d) New gasoline stations, even with hazardous material interceptors, should not be permitted in the recharge or contributing zones.
e) Integrated Pest Management Plans should be required for all development projects not only over the aquifer, but also throughout the Drinking Water Protection Zone. IPM plans should be strongly encouraged throughout the CityÃs jurisdiction.
Rationale
Recent development agreements over the aquifer voluntarily comply with these standards and more ñ Green building, rainwater harvesting, native landscaping, architectural compatibility, and other mitigation efforts. These measures are also to be strongly encouraged and tailored to individual projects. Likewise, recent development agreements have prohibited traffic and sprawl-inducing Big Box retail and major employment centers. The standards recommended above are deemed reasonable by precedent, and are deemed absolutely necessary for minimum protection of the aquifer.
The Environmental Board is concerned about the detrimental environmental effects of development projects that claim to be exempt from the current (SOS) water quality ordinance by reason of pre-existing agreements and/or state legislation. The Board accordingly makes the following recommendations for such development projects within the City of AustinÃs jurisdiction:
1. "Big Box" retail and major employer projects are particularly undesirable in the recharge and contributing zones because of the increased environmental sensitivity of these areas to stormwater runoff and accidental hazardous material spillage; therefore developers should be encouraged to locate such projects off the aquifer. These projects not only produce high impervious cover and excessive pollutant loads from parking lots, but they also significantly increase off-site vehicular traffic, which exacerbates pollution from roadways (which, in most cases, are not retrofitted for even rudimentary water quality controls). In addition, these projects can cause concomitant degradation in quality of life through light and noise pollution and increased traffic congestion.
2. Minimum development standards should be adopted as goals for environmental protection for all development in the Barton Springs recharge and contributing zones. The City Council and/or the appropriate Land Use Commission should strive to attain these goals using any appropriate means.
a) SOS Water Quality Controls to meet the standard of non-degradation should be the minimum acceptable standard. Any permitted development that does not meet these standards will by definition pollute the aquifer and degrade both drinking water for area residents and habitat for endangered species.
b) Impervious Cover limits: If SOS limits are not attainable within the tract proposed for development, the excess impervious cover should be mitigated in the immediate vicinity or within the same watershed.
c) Karst features identified as Critical Environmental Features should be protected with development setbacks for all new construction, as recommended by City of Austin Environmental Resource Management staff. These features allow direct pollutant input to the aquifer and must be given special consideration.
d) New gasoline stations, even with hazardous material interceptors, should not be permitted in the recharge or contributing zones.
e) Integrated Pest Management Plans should be required for all development projects not only over the aquifer, but also throughout the Drinking Water Protection Zone. IPM plans should be strongly encouraged throughout the CityÃs jurisdiction.
Rationale
Recent development agreements over the aquifer voluntarily comply with these standards and more ñ Green building, rainwater harvesting, native landscaping, architectural compatibility, and other mitigation efforts. These measures are also to be strongly encouraged and tailored to individual projects. Likewise, recent development agreements have prohibited traffic and sprawl-inducing Big Box retail and major employment centers. The standards recommended above are deemed reasonable by precedent, and are deemed absolutely necessary for minimum protection of the aquifer.