Excerpts From A Citizen Times Story Thursday:
‘Buncombe County commissioners were presented with a stormwater ordinance Tuesday that officials said would help prevent damage from runoff but will increase the cost of building houses… According to the ordinance, proper management of stormwater runoff ‘will protect property, control stream channel erosion, reduce flooding, protect floodplains, wetlands, water resources, riparian and aquatic ecosystems, and otherwise provide for environmentally sound use of the county?s natural resources’… ‘The ordinance would apply to residential developments an acre or larger and commercial developments a half acre or larger. Developers would have to submit stormwater control plans designed to contain 3 inches of rain falling over a 24-hour period.’…. it probably would be about $300 per acre [for the permit]. Three additional staff members will have to be hired to administer the program’…. ‘The draft document says violations of the ordinance would carry a penalty of up to $1,000 per day, but Commissioner Bill Stanley said he?d like to see that increased to $5,000 per day’… Commissioner David Young had considered the idea of a moratorium on new housing subdivisions while the measure was being crafted, but the board decided instead to put the ordinance on a fast track.’…..
Quote of the day, from Buncombe Assistant County Manager Jon Creighton: ‘?This is going to be an increase to the cost of development in Buncombe County. [But] I think it?s fair to put the cost of this on the developer, not the taxpayer.’
Thoughts?
