Title
Ordinance amending Table 12-4, Table 12-5, and Sections 30-12-3.9, 30-12-3.4, and 30-15-1 of the Land Development Ordinance related to Stream Buffers
Body
Department: Planning
Council District: All
Public Hearing: Yes
Advertising Date/By: November 20th and 26th
Contact 1 and Phone: Steve Drew at 373-7893
Contact 2 and Phone: Steve Galanti at 373-2918
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this text amendment is to amend the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) provisions related to Stream Buffers. The City Council is required to hold a public hearing on this amendment before considering its approval.
BACKGROUND:
It has been brought to Water Resource's staff attention that Greensboro's Land Development Ordinance regulations for stream buffers may not currently reflect the standards passed on to Greensboro by the State of North Carolina. In several conversations with the State Watershed staff, it appears that State Legislation changes to the "Jordan Lake" buffers supersede those previously placed over all watersheds except for the Randleman Lake Watershed.
What are Buffers?
Stream Buffers are vegetated areas through which stormwater runoff flows in a diffuse manner (not channelized) to provide infiltration and the filtering of pollutants. Perennial and intermittent stream buffers are composed of three zones. Zone 1 is the 30 feet located closest to the stream, lake, reservoir, or pond and is primarily intended to be an undisturbed area of vegetation. Zone 2 is the next 20 feet and is to consist of a stable, vegetated area that is mainly undisturbed but, grading and re-vegetation is allowed provided that the health of the vegetation in Zone 1 is not compromised. Zone 3 is the outermost 50 feet of the 100-foot perennial stream buffer, is not considered part of a riparian protection area and therefore allows disturbance for more activities. No new built-upon area is to be placed in any of these zones.
Why change now?
It has been Greensboro's ...
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