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SECTION
2. PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
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PERCENT LANDSCAPED AREA
1. ADEQUATE LANDSCAPED AREA: Review
and if necessary modify existing requirements for adequate
landscaped area on municipal properties to provide absorption
of stormwater and groundwater
recharge, as well as healthy root environment for trees and
other landscape plantings.
ROOFS
1. ECOROOFS: Install water-absorbent
living ecoroofs on public
buildings. (Germany, Belgium, elsewhere. Tax credits in NYC,
Seattle, Chicago, Portland,elsewhere)
(http://www.barrettroofs.com,
http://www.enn.com/enn-news-archive/2000/12/12312000/rooftops_40979.asp,
http://www.greengridroofs.com)
PAVING
1. ALTERNATIVES TO IMPERMEABLE
PAVING: Where paving is required, mandate the use of permeable
materials and systems.
(http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/PerviousMaterials.html)
(Florida Concrete & Products Association Inc., 3030 Dade
Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32804, 800-342-0080, http://www.fcpa.org)
(Cool Communities, Rome, GA. http://www.coolcommunities.org/cool_pavements.htm)
2. PERMEABLE STREETS: Repave streets with
pervious concrete or other
permeable materials. (Florida & deep south, Great Britain,
elsewhere)
(http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/PerviousMaterials.html)
(Florida Concrete & Products Association Inc., 3030 Dade
Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32804, 800-342-0080, http://www.fcpa.org)
(Cool Communities, Rome, GA. http://www.coolcommunities.org/cool_pavements.htm)
3. PERMEABLE SIDEWALKS: Use pervious
concrete or other permeable material for construction
and reconstruction of sidewalks.
(http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/PerviousMaterials.html)
(Florida Concrete & Products Association Inc., 3030 Dade
Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32804, 800-342-0080, http://www.fcpa.org)
(Cool Communities, Rome, GA. http://www.coolcommunities.org/cool_pavements.htm)
4. NATURAL SIDEWALKS: Where practical, use
natural materials like decomposed
granite or soil paving
for sidewalks. The city of Paris, France successfully uses
loose and pervious materials extensively in public rights
of way. Many communities in the United States and all over
the world have no problem with safe, pervious, natural public
paths. If decomposed granite
paths are good enough for Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens,
then why aren’t they good enough for other pedestrian
uses?
5. SIDEWALK REDUCTION PROGRAM: Evaluate
the necessity for sidewalks, remove existing sidewalks where
practical, and minimizing the construction of new sidewalks.
Install sidewalks on one side of the street only.
6. ROOT-FRIENDLY PAVING: Trees offer many
advantages to residents and the environment. Sidewalks, roads,
foundations and other urban infrastructure are detrimental
to the root systems and overall health of trees and other
plants. Santa Barbara is a Tree City USA, but like all cities
it damages its urban forest through unwise paving techniques.
Develop a plan for improved methods of caring for tree root
zones, including engineered or structural
soils beneath city sidewalks and streets, "continuous
trench" and "root path trench" methods of rootzone
enhancement, and pervious paving techniques.
7. NON-TOXIC SEAL COATING: Develop and mandate
the use of pavement maintenance materials that do not leach
toxic waste.
PARKING LOTS
1. PERMEABLE PAVING: Mandate permeable
paving in all parking lots (Pervious
concrete, turf block, gravel, decomposed
granite, etc.).
(http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/PerviousMaterials.html)
(Florida Concrete & Products Association Inc., 3030 Dade
Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32804, 800-342-0080, http://www.fcpa.org)
(Cool Communities, Rome, GA. http://www.coolcommunities.org/cool_pavements.htm)
(http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/neighbors/northeast/story/1335503p-1405103c.html)
2. INTERNAL DRAINAGE: Grade paved surfaces
to drain to central percolation
beds or planter islands that are also designed as bioswales.
3. SUBSURFACE STORMWATER
STORAGE CHAMBERS: Use the area beneath paved parking lots
to temporarily store storm runoff
by developing subsurface
filter beds and other water-holding & filtration structures.
(T.R.E.E.S. Project: http://www.treepeople.org/trees)
4. PONDING
ZONES: Direct runoff
from paved areas to on-site ponding or recharge areas.
5. PARKING STALL SIZE REDUCTION: Reduce
overall parking lot size by downsizing individual stalls.
6. PARKING LOT SWEEPING: Sweep all paved
parking lots, at a minimum in fall prior to the start of rainy
season.
7. NON-TOXIC SEAL COATING: Develop and mandate
the use of pavement maintenance materials that do not leach
toxic waste.
CURBS & GUTTERS
1. "DRAGONTOOTH" OR CUT
CURBING TO ALLOW WATER MOVEMENT INTO SOIL: Where curbing
is necessary, install pervious or gapped curbing to permit
water to run off pavement into adjacent vegetated swales
where it can be absorbed into the soil.
2. ELIMINATION OF CURBS & GUTTERS: Unless
geological, hydrological or other considerations prevent it,
remove existing curbs and gutters and replace them with natural
vegetated bioswales which
will delay runoff into
creeks and absorb and filter stormwater before it reaches
waterways.
STORMWATER SYSTEMS
1. STORMDRAIN FILTRATION: Provide filtration
systems on storm drain inlets.
2. PONDING ZONES AT INLETS: Where feasible,
raise stormdrain inlets
to create ponding zones
for groundwater recharge
and filtration.
3. RETENTION
GRADING: Where geologically and hydrologically appropriate,
include bermed ponding
areas and swales to hold
water on site.
WATER
HARVESTING & GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
1. NEIGHBORHOOD PERCOLATION ZONES:
Create and maintain areas of open, vegetated land in low-lying
neighborhoods to serve as percolation
zones to capture storm runoff
and allow it to enter the ground water table. These could
also serve as community parks and gathering places.
2. GRAYWATER SYSTEMS: Develop graywater
systems in public buildings and schools. Make these available
as an educational resource for the community to learn how
to develop graywater systems on private property.
(http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid287.php
, http://oasisdesign.net/index.htm)
3. CISTERNS & RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS:
Install cisterns, waterwalls
and other rainwater catchment and storage systems on municipal
properties. These can be used in two ways: 1.) to slow the
entry of storm water into waterways, mimicking natural systems
that are not possible to restore in urban areas, and 2.) provide
pure water for irrigation and even for potable use. Use these
systems as public examples of successful approaches to rainwater
catchment.
(http://dmoz.org/Science/Environment/Water_Resources/Rainwater_Harvesting)
(http://www.edgewaterenviro.com/rainwater.htm)
(http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid287.php)
4. DRY STREAMBEDS: Install natural dry
streambeds in runoff
areas. Where appropriate, include percolation
chambers to direct storm water into the ground.
BIOFILTRATION
1. BIOSWALES: Develop vegetated bioswales
in public parks and other public properties, as well as on
the edges of public streets and roadways. These can serve
multiple functions: slow stormwater runoff
into waterways, filter pollution, reduce the need for street
sweeping, save the cost of expensive pave-and-pipe
infrastructure in new developments, maintain or restore a
pleasant rural atmosphere in neighborhoods, sequester carbon,
produce oxygen, recharge groundwater,
provide habitat for native plants and wildlife, act as small
local mini-green spaces.
STREET SWEEPING
1. ROUTINE STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM: Regular street sweeping
to eliminate pollution sources such as oils and lubricants,
tire rubber, brake lining dust, animal feces and rubbish.
At minimum, sweep all streets in fall prior to rainy season.
Give highest priority to streets with curbs, gutters and stormdrains
that feed untreated stormwater into creeks or ocean; lower
priority to rural streets with adequate infiltration zones
adjacent to paved roadways.
IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT
1. WATER MANAGEMENT IN PARKS & PUBLIC PROPERTIES: In addition
to existing water management programs and practices, take
watershed issues into account in all water management decisions,
training and equipment upgrades. Consider runoff,
percolation, ground water
recharge, etc.
FERTILIZER USE REDUCTION
1. FERTILIZER APPLICATION MANAGEMENT:
Develop and follow stringent guidelines for fertilizer application
on all public properties.
2. TRAINING PROGRAMS: Train public grounds
maintenance employees and companies contracting with public
agencies for maintenance services in proper fertilizer use.
3. MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING AND DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM: Develop and implement a municipal greenwaste
composting system. Distribute compost in place of fertilizer
on public properties.
4. USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS: Encourage
the use of organic fertilizers over chemical fertilizers.
Organics are more resistant to leaching and are also better
for plants, and the soil
foodweb.
5. LEAF LITTER RETENTION: Encourage the
practice of allowing leaf litter to remain in place where
appropriate. Removal of leaf litter disrupts the nutrient
loop and makes it necessary to import lost nutrients in the
form of fertilizers. It also exposes the soil to drying and
erosion, leading to excess silt flows.
6. LOW NUTRIENT-REQUIRING PLANT SPECIES:
Encourage the use of plants that require little or no supplemental
fertilization.
PESTICIDE USE REDUCTION
1. REDUCTION/ELIMINATION OF MUNICIPAL
PESTICIDE USE: Reduce or eliminate use of pesticides on all
public properties.
2. PESTICIDE BAN FOR ORNAMENTALS: Follow
the lead of Halifax, Nova Scotia in banning the use of pesticides
for ornamental plants.
3. PEST-SUSCEPTIBLE PLANT REDUCTION: Remove
species that are known to be especially susceptible to pest
and disease infestations and replace them with durable, low-maintenance
species.
ORGANIC MULCHES
1. MULCHING PROGRAM: Mulch
all open ground and planter beds in public parks and other
properties. Maintain a minimum 3 inch thick cover of mulch
at all times. Mulch improves water absorption, reduces runoff,
improves the soil foodweb,
prevents surface erosion, reduces water loss by evaporation,
improves the root environment for plants and improves the
appearance of planting beds.
2. PUBLIC EDUCATION: Educate the public
about the advantages of mulch,
including improvement of the ability of soil to absorb water.
HOMELESS SHELTERS &
TOILETS
1. HOMELESS SHELTERS: Provide year-round
shelter for homeless residents in order to eliminate homeless
encampments along creeks and elsewhere.
2. PUBLIC TOILETS: Improve the availability
of public toilet facilities.
ANIMAL WASTE CONTROL
1. PUBLIC EDUCATION: Publicize the
impact of animal wastes on the watershed through flyers, direct
mailings to pet and domestic animal owners, workshops for
animal welfare groups and programs in schools.
2. REGULATIONS: Strengthen and/or enforce
regulations requiring pet owners to take responsibility for
waste.
3. STREET SWEEPING: See above.
4. CLEANUP MATERIALS AND FACILITIES: Provide
mutt mitts and other facilities at all appropriate public
sites.
CLEAN VEHICLES
1. VEHICLE REDESIGN: Encourage the development of sealed engine
compartments to reduce leakage of oil and other fluids.
2. NON-TOXIC WEARING SURFACES: Encourage
the development of non-toxic tires, brake linings and other
wearing surfaces that deposit abraded materials into the environment.
CREEKSIDE RECREATION
1. PROVIDE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ALONG URBAN CREEKS:
Do as San Luis Obispo has done and create attractive, usable
public spaces along lower Mission Creek.
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