Hybrid Permitting Advantages for Residential Construction Best Management Practices
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2015-04
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ABSTRACT
Lundquist, David. Masters of Environmental Assessment. Hybrid Permitting Advantages for Residential Construction Best Management Practices.
During the past several decades Coastal North Carolina, particularly in the Wilmington area, has experienced rapid growth in residential and commercial development. The development is largely due to an expanding population of families, retirees, and sun searchers that desire to live on or near North Carolina’s abundant recreational waters. The increase of inhabitants drives development, and in turn poses many risks to recreational water quality. The risks are related to rainwater runoff that occurs from roofs, driveways and other impervious surfaces. When runoff is not managed effectively it can carry pollutants such as nitrates, petroleum products, fecal chloroforms and sediments directly to receiving waters. In order to help mitigate pollutants, state officials and developers are mandated to treat the runoff from development with the use of Best Management Practices (BMP’s), Low Impact Development (LID) and responsible land use planning.
Currently, developers and state regulators are divided on finding the right balance between effective treatment and cost effective designs for high density development. This study presents an example where both goals can be achieved through the use of a hybrid construction permit that allows for conventional curb and gutter conveyance to engineered BMP’s as well as direct discharge from grass swale discharge in high density developed areas.
