Regulatory Updates & Program Review

As a major component of watershed planning or on its own, we can help you revise your environmental regulations, update development codes, or evaluate your local programs.  We have extensive experience building local consensus on how to make development codes more environmentally-sensitive.  We have worked with states, territories, and local governments on drafting new stormwater, erosion control, and other environmental regulations.  Additionally, we have helped many communities build local stormwater programs to meet NPDES requirements.  If your community is more "DIY", check out our self-audits in the Resource Library that can help you out identify and address your regulatory and programmatic gaps.

Better Site Design Roundtables and Development Code Review

Since 1998, the Center has promoted environmentally-sensitive design through the application of 22 Better Site Design (BSD) model development principles. BSD strives to minimize the impact of new development by reducing the amount of impervious cover on site, retaining natural areas, and using an integrated approach to stormwater management (which includes the use of low impact development techniques). Principles for redevelopment and infill have also been developed. Please visit our Better Site Design Resource Library for all of our Better Site Design documents and resources.

Many local development codes (often unintentionally) prohibit the application of BSD; therefore, we have advanced an approach to evaluating and revising local ordinances. The Center can assist communities in a range of services from a codes and ordinance review to identify regulatory barriers to BSD, or provide a BSD training workshop. The goal of our BSD services is to ultimately preserve and enhance more natural areas; reduce and manage the amount of stormwater that flows off of a development site; and maintain economically viable development.

Those communities that are interested in making a comprehensive change and engaging the entire community can consider a local site planning roundtable process bringing together developers, environmentalists, and municipal staff in your community to identify specific changes to development regulations to address future growth.

More specifically in the Chesapeake Bay, the Center, with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the National Association of Home Builders, launched Builders for the Bay (BFB) in 2001 to pursue local site planning roundtables in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The local site planning roundtables are a consensus process through which jurisdictions actually change existing local subdivision codes and ordinances to be more environmentally friendly and economically prudent. By making it easier for communities to implement Better Site Design development and infrastructure costs and runoff and nutrient loads are reduced.

We are always looking to assist communities in need of a development code overhaul. If your community is ready, contact Julie Tasillo at jat @ cwp.org or 410-461-8323. 

Projects include:

Carroll County, MD- Builders for the Bay Roundtable- completed May 2008
Because of its location in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, suburban growth is quickly spreading to the largely rural Carroll County, MD. Currently home to approximately 150,000 people, population projections suggest an increase of about 35% over the next 10+ years. The County has decided to be proactive in its approach to dealing with these strong development pressures, so with funding from Constellation Energy, the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Carroll County, the Center and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay conducted a local site planning roundtable.

Baltimore County, MD - Builders for the Bay Roundtable -completed August 2006
On June 15, 2006, the final meeting for the year-long Baltimore County Roundtable process brought together County Executive Jim Smith; representatives from the Center, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the Home Builders Association of Maryland; and the diverse participants of the roundtable process to review the resulting document outlining development recommendations. Baltimore County was the most developed community that has held a roundtable to date, and instead of focusing on chiefly new development like previous roundtables, discussion also widely addressed already developed areas. This roundtable also established an implementation plan to identify each action, responsible agency, and timeframe for each recommendation.

Blair County Site Planning Roundtable (PA)*- completed May 2006
Lancaster Area Site Planning Roundtable (PA)*- completed March 2005
James City County Site Planning Roundtable (VA)*- completed November 2004
Paxton Creek Watershed Site Planning Roundtable (PA)* - completed October 2003
Harford County Site Planning Roundtable (MD)* - completed May 2003
Worcester County (MD) - completed 2004
Rappahannock Roundtable (VA) - completed 2001
Cecil County (MD) - completed 2001
Frederick County (MD)- completed 1999 (First Roundtable)
(Builders for the Bay roundtables indicated with an *)

Goochland County, VA code review – completed 2007
The Goochland County, VA Codes and Ordinances Analysis was the final task for the Center through a collaborative agreement under the Chesapeake Bay NEMO. A Code and Ordinance Worksheet (COW) was completed for Goochland County through a project initiated by the James River Association (JRA). Through this project, Virginia area graduate students analyzed the codes, practices and policies of counties within the James River Basin using the COW. The Center utilized the results of the Goochland County COW in this document to identify key areas for change to promote better site design and possible structure for those changes.

Charles County, MD code review–completed 2006
Through the Chesapeake Bay NEMO partnership, the Center provided Charles County, MD with suggestions to improve their ability to provide a legal framework for water quality protection. Charles County used an additional grant to make revisions to their Code to incorporate natural resource elements and implement the Mattawoman Watershed Management Plan.

Dutchess County, NY code review – completed 2005
Dutchess County Environmental Management Council wanted to initiate an effective tool for assessing growth management. The Center worked closely with the county’s two main towns for interviews and a comprehensive codes and ordinances review process. The County also assisted in the final project research and assessment. The resulting report presents the findings of the code review for each town, the specific barriers to implementing Better Site Design, along with potential resolutions.

Center for Watershed Protection © 2008
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8390 Main Street, 2nd Floor | Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 410-461-8323 | Fax: 410-461-8324 | Email: center@cwp.org