Time to comment about stormwater ordinance is almost over

Citizens for Oconee's Future, Inc.
P. O. Box 1301
Watkinsville, GA 30677

Subject: Oconee County Stormwater OrdinanceÂ

Following is the text of an e mail message from Lee Becker, Friends of Barber Creek with important information about the proposed stormwater ordinance. Lee provides an excellent summary of the important issues with the proposed ordinance. I urge all to read this e mail and the ordinance and then let the county staff know of your concerns. Lee is most concerned about the impact on Barber Creek but the impact of poor stormwater protection is not limited to Barber Creek.  Folks, this ordinance is far more important to the long term future of the county than any single rezone. This Board of Commissioners is driving development of the county and based on the direction given the county staff to "water this ordinance down" (no pun intended) it looks like they are willing to sacrifice water quality, an important part of what makes the county a good place to live. You can be sure that In their drive to develop this will not be the last part of a good quality of life to be sacrificed.

Charles Baugh

President



Dear Friends,

Friday, June 2, is the deadline for submitting your comments on Oconee County’s proposed Storm Drainage and Stormwater Management Ordinance.

Don't miss this opportunity to express your opinion on this important document that will affect Barber Creek.

Comments can be sent via email to Amy Morrison, Oconee County Stormwater/Environmental Coordinator, at amorrison@oconee.ga.us.

Here are the basics of the ordinance.

1. The draft ordinance is a revision of an earlier proposed set of ordinances.

2. The new document differs from the original in two important ways.

First, proposed tough regulations on developers have been greatly relaxed.

Second, the enforcement procedures have been weakened.

3. The proposed ordinances will not require developers in the part of the county currently being developed that part through which Barber Creek flows to meet the state requirements that would have restricted the flow of stormwater into Barber Creek. The state requirements are meant to protect the quality of the water and minimize flooding.

Here is the background.

1. Oconee County, responding to requirements from the state Environmental Protection Division, developed ordinances, first released to the public in September of 2005. These ordinances would have required all developers in the county to meet state guidelines on stormwater management and provided for stiff jail terms for violators.

2. The county held a public hearing on October 24, 2005. Only a handful of people attended. Charlie Baugh and I raised concerns about the county's ability to enforce the procedures. We were told no new resources were going to be put into code enforcement. Only one developer spoke, and he spoke in favor of the proposed ordinances.

3. The county planned to pass the ordinances at the Board of Commissioner meeting in November. Instead it withdrew the ordinances and began rewriting them. Developers objected behind the scenes.

Here is what the new proposed ordinance calls for.

1. Developers who are doing infill in that part of the county that is largely developed -- 22 square miles in the eastern part of the county--will have to meet the state requirements.

2. Existing retention ponds in the developed part of the county will be only loosely monitored. The county has not had strict requirements dealing with stormwater runoff and doesn't even have an inventory of what exists at this point.

3. Developers in the rest of the county, including the area between SR316 and Hog Mountain Road, will not have to meet state standards that require detention ponds and other procedures to reduce the debris and pollutants washed into streams when it rains.

4. Violators of the ordinance will be fined. Jail terms have been eliminated.

The stream that will be most affected in the short term by these changes in the ordinances is Barber Creek, since it drains the area between SR316 and Hog Mountain Road.

Developers are largely happy with the change, according to a story in the May 16 issue of the Banner-Herald. A representative of the local Home Builders Association, is quoted as saying: "Obviously, we prefer this draft of the ordinance because it only puts the water-quality requirements on the urbanized part of the county." The person said, however, that the county might not have gone far enough in weakening the ordinances.

The county ordinance is on the web site of Oconee County. http://www.oconeecounty.net/. Take a look.

If the ordinance is one you like, tell Amy Morrison that. If you are not happy with it, tell her that.

The county did hold a public hearing on this ordinance on May 11, the same night as the EPD hearing in Winder on the Barrow County plans to begin dumping treated wastewater from its new sewage plant into Barber Creek. According to the May 25 issue of The Oconee Enterprise, only three people showed up at the Oconee County hearing.

The timing of the Oconee County hearing is an interesting coincidence.

Write to Amy Morrison at amorrison@oconee.ga.us. She's quoted in the Enterprise piece as saying she has gotten three comments so far: two asking that the state standards be applied across the county, and one saying things are fine as they are.



Lee Becker
lbbecker@mindspring.com

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