Role of Site Plan Role of Site Plan Review in Erosion Review in Erosion PreventionPreventionThe City of Spartanburg The City of Spartanburg Site Plan Review ProcessSite Plan Review Process

Bob Klute, Community Enhancement Bob Klute, Community Enhancement ManagerManager

September 23, 2004September 23, 2004

Previous Review Previous Review ProblemsProblems

In the City of Spartanburg, the challenges of In the City of Spartanburg, the challenges of increasing urbanism and increasing Federal increasing urbanism and increasing Federal regulations have changed the way the City reviews regulations have changed the way the City reviews development issues, including storm water and development issues, including storm water and erosion control.erosion control.

Until recently, City ordinances affecting Until recently, City ordinances affecting development, including the storm water and erosion development, including the storm water and erosion control ordinance, were administered by various City control ordinance, were administered by various City agencies with only occasional interaction between agencies with only occasional interaction between them. Usually the interaction was driven by a them. Usually the interaction was driven by a problem created by the lack of initial problem created by the lack of initial communication.communication.

Examples of Lack of Examples of Lack of CoordinationCoordination

For instance, in the review of a major new shopping For instance, in the review of a major new shopping center (Dorman Centre), lack of coordination center (Dorman Centre), lack of coordination between city engineering and city planning resulted between city engineering and city planning resulted in confusion in terms of the placement of required in confusion in terms of the placement of required detention ponds relative to a natural area to be detention ponds relative to a natural area to be preserved and a natural buffer. preserved and a natural buffer.

Confusion resulted in costly delays for the developer Confusion resulted in costly delays for the developer and a number of ad hoc changes during both review and a number of ad hoc changes during both review and construction.and construction.

Initial coordination and agreement on objectives to Initial coordination and agreement on objectives to be met would have resulted in a better (more be met would have resulted in a better (more functional and aesthetic) system for both aesthetic functional and aesthetic) system for both aesthetic buffering and storm water control.buffering and storm water control.

Current Review ProcessCurrent Review Process

An interdisciplinary reviewAn interdisciplinary review is now in is now in place including representatives of all place including representatives of all City agencies involved in development City agencies involved in development review: building official; planning and review: building official; planning and zoning; engineering; public works; fire zoning; engineering; public works; fire marshal.marshal.

Two Step ProcessTwo Step Process This is a two step processThis is a two step process:: FirstFirst, the , the City Manager’s Development TeamCity Manager’s Development Team

(which consists of the City Manager and (which consists of the City Manager and senior City staff) meets once a week and senior City staff) meets once a week and provides a forum for developers to present provides a forum for developers to present and discuss conceptual plans for and discuss conceptual plans for development projects. This part of the development projects. This part of the process acquaints the developer’s team with process acquaints the developer’s team with the City team, City regulations and the City team, City regulations and expectations and identifies possible issue expectations and identifies possible issue areas to work on through the review process. areas to work on through the review process.

CoordinationCoordination SecondSecond, once projects are filed: the , once projects are filed: the Site Plan Site Plan

Review TeamReview Team (consists of a subset of the (consists of a subset of the Development Team) meets once a week and Development Team) meets once a week and reviews formal filings for technical issues.reviews formal filings for technical issues.

Planning staff coordinates the site plan Planning staff coordinates the site plan review: serves as clearinghouse for review: serves as clearinghouse for comments back to the developer and comments back to the developer and distributes revised drawings and developer distributes revised drawings and developer responses to the Site Plan Review Team. responses to the Site Plan Review Team. The Site Plan Review is intended to be a fast The Site Plan Review is intended to be a fast track process, with review and approval track process, with review and approval possible within a one week time frame.possible within a one week time frame.

Continuous CommitmentContinuous Commitment

The coordination is continuous and The coordination is continuous and very time consuming but helps ensure very time consuming but helps ensure that conflicts are resolved jointly and that conflicts are resolved jointly and not in isolation.not in isolation.

Have gotten a good response from Have gotten a good response from local development community.local development community.

Examples of the benefits:Examples of the benefits:

Allows developers and staff to think outside the Allows developers and staff to think outside the typical review box, seek solutions that cut across typical review box, seek solutions that cut across professional linesprofessional lines

(for instance: currently working with two groups of (for instance: currently working with two groups of doctor’s who will share a storm water detention doctor’s who will share a storm water detention pond and incorporate it into a landscaped buffer pond and incorporate it into a landscaped buffer next to a single family neighborhood; a third next to a single family neighborhood; a third property owner now wishes to join the first two and property owner now wishes to join the first two and utilize the proposed detention pond which is being utilize the proposed detention pond which is being redesigned to accommodate a greater capacity.redesigned to accommodate a greater capacity.

The advantages to the property owners: less cost The advantages to the property owners: less cost and hassle; the advantages to the community: only and hassle; the advantages to the community: only need one well designed pond where otherwise would need one well designed pond where otherwise would have three.have three.

ExampleExample

This example came out of a This example came out of a presentation to the Development Team presentation to the Development Team by the architect for the first group of by the architect for the first group of doctor’s, and is an example of the staff doctor’s, and is an example of the staff working with the architect to broaden working with the architect to broaden the scope as well as staff contacting the scope as well as staff contacting the third property owner to explain the the third property owner to explain the benefits of a joint approach to benefits of a joint approach to development.development.

BenefitsBenefits Other benefitsOther benefits: the staff gets used to working : the staff gets used to working

together as team, becomes aware of each together as team, becomes aware of each others perspectives and issues.others perspectives and issues.

Benefits to developersBenefits to developers: a process that they : a process that they can count on, but that has some flexibility can count on, but that has some flexibility and is supportive of innovative solutions. and is supportive of innovative solutions. Also, the developer does not have to “go Also, the developer does not have to “go shopping” for the answer to an issue; the shopping” for the answer to an issue; the developer knows that the answer back from developer knows that the answer back from the City on an issue does represent the the City on an issue does represent the entire City position and won’t be entire City position and won’t be countermanded by another agency.countermanded by another agency.

Federal RequirementsFederal Requirements

As federally mandated regulations for As federally mandated regulations for storm water and erosion control storm water and erosion control become more pervasive and complex, become more pervasive and complex, this type of approach will be necessary this type of approach will be necessary for the City of Spartanburg to ensure for the City of Spartanburg to ensure that these requirements are met, not at that these requirements are met, not at the expense of other issues.the expense of other issues.

Riparian Buffer Riparian Buffer OrdinanceOrdinance

City Council passed last year a City Council passed last year a Riparian Buffer Riparian Buffer OrdinanceOrdinance which staff is currently administering, as which staff is currently administering, as part of the storm water management system part of the storm water management system required in response to the Federal Post required in response to the Federal Post Construction Runoff Control Measures required for Construction Runoff Control Measures required for Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). The staff review process was used to develop (MS4). The staff review process was used to develop and review the ordinance.and review the ordinance.

This ordinance prohibits removal of existing This ordinance prohibits removal of existing vegetation within buffers associated with major vegetation within buffers associated with major streams within the City and provides for a streams within the City and provides for a Revegetation Standard for replacement where Revegetation Standard for replacement where vegetation is removed in violation of the ordinance.vegetation is removed in violation of the ordinance.

Typical Riparian BufferTypical Riparian Buffer

Typical Riparian BufferTypical Riparian Buffer

Revegetation StandardRevegetation Standard

Riparian Buffers: City of Riparian Buffers: City of SpartanburgSpartanburg

Future ChallengesFuture Challenges The City of Spartanburg represents only a small The City of Spartanburg represents only a small

portion of the total watershed comprising portion of the total watershed comprising Spartanburg County;Spartanburg County;

Also, the Revegetation Standard in the Riparian Also, the Revegetation Standard in the Riparian Buffer should ideally be extended to retrofit existing Buffer should ideally be extended to retrofit existing sites to add vegetation to stream banks where there sites to add vegetation to stream banks where there currently is none;currently is none;

A great deal of work to be done in public education; A great deal of work to be done in public education; linking natural areas with public open space needs;linking natural areas with public open space needs;

Increase functional open space to avoid Increase functional open space to avoid construction of costly storm water control facilities.construction of costly storm water control facilities.