Homeowners tackle their development's runoff woes

By David Berry

09/29/2009

The consensus among experts is that the single biggest polluter of the Chesapeake Bay is the nitrogen, phosphorus, and contaminated sediments that move from the land into the bay's tributaries and ultimately the bay itself. Runoff from agriculture lands remains the largest source. However, estimates suggest that between 16 percent and 19 percent comes from stormwater runoff from manmade surfaces, and while agriculture's share is decreasing, the pollution contributed by urban and suburban stormwater is increasing. This contribution is bound to continue to increase as more open space becomes developed.

Of all the developed land, the large, multi-unit condominiums with their vast parking lots, expansive roofs and landscaped areas right up to the water's edge are among the most significant contributors.

One complex has taken steps to reduce its runoff, and made it pay financially. The complex, Canvasback Cove I, opened in the late 1980s two hundred yards north of the point where the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace, Md.

Zoning ordinances at the time forced the developers to use stone and gravel instead of concrete and asphalt for the parking lots and the garage floors, but no regulations dictated landscaping. As a consequence, large sidewalks built of hard paving stones extended from each entrance. They were lined with shrubbery unsuited to the environment. The areas between buildings were stocked with non-native plants and trees that required frequent watering and fertilization. Lawn grasses were planted on an exposed hillside between the pool and the dock. Globe Arborvitae were installed along the docks, but soon died from lack of shade and water. Hurricane Isabel did further damage when it sent eight feet of water over most of the landscaping.

The association decided to attack the problem this year. Its members worked with their management company and a landscape contractor on a plan that would replace all the landscaping with native plants. The paving stone walkways were removed, along with the bushes that lined them, and replaced with gravel and small five foot square pads at the base of each step. The areas between buildings were rebuilt as green areas that collect and absorb the rain from the large roofs, gutters and down spouts. Native grasses and trees were planted between the buildings and below the pool deck and act as natural water filters. All the plants chosen have large root systems that naturally search deep for their own water source, and that provide the additional benefit of holding soil in place, reducing erosion.

Joe Carobene, President of the Canvasback Cove I Condo Association said "The effort has a financial payoff. We can increase the value of the individual properties by going green."

Fred Traut is the property manager for Canvasback Cove I and he estimates that the development has cut maintenance costs, including water, fertilizing, weeding, trimming, and snow removal by 40 percent to 50 percent.

The other bonus to the condo owners is that some of the costs were paid for by a grant from the Living Shoreline's initiative, which is available in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's on line brochure, Living Shorelines, provides a list of possible grant sources.

Canvasback Cove I was honored by the city of Havre de Grace with a proclamation designating it a Chesapeake Bay Friendly Community, and the development can promote its environmentally sound landscaping when units come up for sale, but the truth is that few other communities will voluntarily take the same steps, preferring the traditional, suburban landscaping they are familiar with despite the problems it creates.

A recent report from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network places Maryland's stormwater management efforts at a D plus. Only Pennsylvania, with a straight D, fares worse than Maryland. Virginia merits a C-plus, West Virginia a C, and the highly urban District of Columbia a surprising B-plus. Montgomery County is the only area in Maryland where the state has mandated a retrofit of the stormwater systems.

More municipalities should be required to update their zoning ordinances concerning stormwater management and it should be compulsory that condo and homeowner associations take the steps Canvasback Cove I did as their landscaping needs replacing. The revisions should set site standards for landscaping and reducing impervious surfaces. Gravel walkways should be required instead of concrete or paving stones along with strict lists of acceptable plants, but new rules require education as well as enforcement. .More states need to make grants available to ease the burden on the communities. Canvasback Cove I has shown that the effort can be a financial, as well as an environmental, reward.