[RP TownTalk] Review of Storm Water Management (SWM) and Cafritz proj.

[Vernon Archer]

Friends and neighbors,

As I review the various communications that have come to my attention over
the last week regarding the ongoing review of one part of the Cafritz SWM
system it is clear that I need to send out a review of the situation. There
are many questions area residents understandably have, often the exact same
ones I had a week or two earlier, but also some conclusions are circulating
that are way off base and a clear picture of what is and IS NOT happening
needs to be written.

First, lets start with the big picture. The Cafritz project has in place a
comprehensive SWM plan that not only meets but exceeds the new state
mandated requirements for controlling/managing runoff of water from a
quality (pollution) and quantity (flooding) point of view. The shorthand
for this is Environmental Sight Design (ESD) and the principles involved
can be seen in the state publication on the topic:

http://www.mde.state.md
.us/assets/document/Design%20Manual%20Chapter%205%2003%2024%202009.pdf

One way of looking at this part is to understand it as being there to
manage the events that are more "normal"; that is the types of events that
happen from every year, up to every few years. On this level--ESD--the
Cafritz project again exceeds state standards by approximately 25%, and
this portion of the plan is *not under discussion*.

What *is being reviewed *is the means of handling the much larger events
that come much less frequently, but that will eventually come--the 10 and
100 year storm.  The plan that was initially placed as a requirement of the
Cafritz project for mitigation at this level was a system based on an
underground tank that would hold flood water.  The Cafritz engineering team
produced a study of Wells Run and the proposed tank system that called into
question its effectiveness and turned it over to the County officials at
the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) for
review. Their argument is this: the tank will not produce any appreciable
benefit in a 100 year storm and therefore they want to pay a fee-in-lue of
doing the project to the County. The expectation is that the fee will be
used for a more productive facility for controlling flooding.

County Government is the level at which the actual approval and enforcement
of SWM takes place, so DPIE is in effect the office that will decide the
issue of whether to stay with the "tank" system or to accept the
fee-in-lieu payment.
DPIE has analyzed the findings of the Cafritz team and concurs with them.
Both our neighbors in University Park and our Town Government are having
independent analyses of the study done by seperate engineering firms.
Neither is complete as of this writing.

To repeat an earlier message, we now have a page on the town website with
storm water management items posted. Right now the new Cafritz study of the
"tank" is there, and shortly a copy of the ESD for the whole project will
be posted there as well.

http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info/StormwaterManagement.cfm

I asked the DPIE team to come to our next council work session on March 30
at 8 PM in order to give to the council and interested public the exact
same presentation of the facts, as they see them, that I was given in a
briefing on March 12.  By that time our engineering firm will have
completed its study, and I am of course interested in the study
commissioned by UP as well.

University Park will be having the same presentation on April 2 giving
everyone in the area a second chance to gather information and weigh in on
the issue.

The last matter that I need to address is the question of what would be
done with a fee-in-lue payment.  First, let may say that this option is
only open if an effective on-sight option is not available. If the numbers
bear up, and the on sight proposal is not effective, the fee-in-lue money
must be used on that SWM drainage. That is to say the money cannot be
transferred to some other project in another part of the county.

Many stake holders in this area have looked to the 9 Pond site to the west
of Adelphi Road as a good contender to make a real improvement to SWM along
Wells Run.  Let me be plane in that there are real hurdles to be passed
before this can happen, but there are significant factors that make it an
appealing place for a major management facility.  Hurdles include it is
private property, almost entirely a wetland already and regulated by the US
Army Corp of Engineers, and in Hyattsville which is NOT down stream on
Wells Run so may view its interests somewhat differently. The appealing
parts mirror the hurdles, while it is private property, and a wet land, it
cannot be used for much other than water management and Hyattsville is
ultimately down stream from other places and needs answers to SWM just like
we do.

Another set of circumstances that make 9 Pond more likely is the county's
desire to see redevelopment of Prince George's Plaza area, which would kick
in the same much more demanding SWM regulations that the Cafritz project
has to meet. 9 Pond has the potential to significantly ease that process.

In closing I look forward to seeing all of those interested in this issue
out on March 30! or in UP on the April 2.

Vern

-- 
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland
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