Growth and development in Virginia’s coastal zone continues to increase at a rate that is disproportionate with the rest of the Commonwealth. Water quality impacts associated with urban growth are further magnified by development trends characterized by increasing impervious cover. To address these impacts, recent regulatory changes and program developments, specifically the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and revised Virginia stormwater management regulations, have resulted in the creation of nutrient reduction goals for Virginia localities. These developments require new land use approaches and development policies that will help localities reduce the impacts of land development on water quality. HRPDC staff will analyze the local consequences of these water quality requirements for urban and transitional communities and develop tools to enable localities to meet these requirements while avoiding negative impacts on natural resources. This project will utilize a pilot program approach, identifying one or two localities for each type of locality (urban or transitional) to serve as research and testing grounds. Pilot localities will be determined through HRPDC’s existing regional coordination and committee processes. HRPDC staff will evaluate existing Comprehensive Plans and other documents for compatibility with new regulatory requirements and develop policy recommendations as needed. HRPDC staff will also identify potential water quality retrofits and redevelopment opportunities, including projects that will protect and/or restore blue and green infrastructure. This project will also explore the need for enabling legislation that allows localities to achieve water quality goals, including increases in the allowable tree canopy requirement. HRPDC will work with VNEMO to determine the best strategy for coordinating assistance to local governments. 

 

Should additional funding be available for FY12, HRPDC staff will research best management practices for water quality retrofits and identify retrofit types that are appropriate to environmental conditions in Hampton Roads, with a specific focus on the selected pilot localities. This research will be based on the results of Products 1, 2, & 3. This product will begin identifying and describing retrofits, including cost estimates and estimates of pollutant removal effectiveness, and will assess their potential for use in Hampton Roads localities.