FIRST AMENDMENT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREA 16 MASTER PLAN

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FIRST AMENDMENT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREA 16 MASTER PLAN City of Sea Isle

Business Administrator Cindy Griffith, Clerk Cornelius R. Byrne, C.F.M.

1 FIRST AMENDMENT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREA 16 MASTER PLAN City of Sea Isle City 233 JFK Boulevard Sea Isle City, New Jersey (phone) LEONARD C. DESIDERIO, MAYOR ADMINISTRATION JANUARY 2017 CITY COUNCIL George Savastano, Business Administrator Cindy Griffith, Clerk Cornelius R. Byrne, C.F.M., Floodplain Administrator/CRS coordinator Paul J. Baldini, Solicitor John J. Divney Frank P. Edwardi Jack C. Gibson William J. Kehner Mary Tighe

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREAMBLE... 1 IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS... 2 CONCLUSION.. 5 LIST OF APPENDIX Appendix 1 Municipal Engineer, Andrew A. Previti, P.E. Report and Analysis for Whether the Stormwater Management Development Standards for Major Development Should be Applicable to All Development in the City Appendix 2 Municipal Engineer, Andrew A. Previti, P.E. resume. 11 Appendix 3 Municipal Engineer, Andrew A. Previti, P.E. dated higher standard Report.. 15 Appendix 4 City of Sea Isle City Ordinance adopting Plan 17 Appendix 5 Ordinance adopting higher standards 19 i

3 PREAMBLE The City of Sea Isle City adopted Watershed Management Plan Area 16 Master Plan prepared August 2016, adopted by Ordinance No (2016) at Council meeting on October 11, 2016, and became the official Watershed Management policy of the City. Since the date of adoption the City of Sea Isle City has commissioned and received a report and analysis from the Municipal Engineer dated November 22, 2016 which provides; an analysis of whether the storm water management development standards for major development should be applicable to all development in the City. This report was commissioned and completed per the first recommendation of the PLANNING FOR AND MANAGING RUNOFF FROM THE 10- YEAR STORM, YEAR AND 100- YEAR STORM section of the Watershed Management Area 16 Master Plan for the City. See page 50 of said Plan. The Municipal Engineer oversaw a municipal profile, review of the developmental history and physical features of the City, reviewed major development standards, and the applicability of major development standards for stormwater management to all development in the City. The report is attached to this First Amendment of Sea Isle City Watershed Management Areas 16 Master Plan as Appendix 1. The City accepts said study and recommendation. A further purpose of this First Amendment to Watershed Management Area 16 Master Plan for the City of Sea Isle City is the City's desire to continue to provide higher standards for major development then the state mandated minimum standards. By separate analysis, the Municipal Engineer has been commissioned to make recommended changes to the City stormwater standards for major development which will increase these requirements for development in the City. Attached to this amended Plan is a copy of the recommendation by the Municipal Engineer dated November 16, 2016 and presented to the City by . The report is attached as Appendix 3. Accordingly, the City of Sea Isle City than intends to incorporate both of these recommendations into the Watershed Management Plan utilizing this First Amendment of Watershed Management Areas 16 Master Plan for the City of Sea Isle City to accomplish that task. The City than intends to implement the recommendations. This First Amendment to the City Watershed Management Plan Area 16 Master Plan is adopted and made the law of the City by Ordinance No. (2017) attached as Appendix 4. The recommendations are adopted and made the law of the City by Ordinance No. (2017) attached as Appendix 5. 1

4 Watershed Management Area 16 Master Plan is hereby amended to add the following section and content. CHAPTER 5 WATERSHED IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PLANNING FOR AND MANAGING RUNOFF FROM THE 10-YEAR STORM, YEAR AND 100- YEAR STORM Following RECOMMENDATION section the following section is hereby added: IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS Subsequent to adoption of the City of Sea Isle City Watershed Management Plan, the City began a process of reviewing the recommendations and implementing those recommendations. One of the recommendations for planning for and managing runoff from storms was set forth in the Master Plan at page 50 as follows: Review Sea Isle City development standards for major development in the City in order to determine whether those standards should be applied to all development in the City and specifically code section d6 (a) 3 and whether those standards need to be revised in order to appropriately manage runoff from all storms up to and in including the 100 year event. As a result of this recommendation the City of Sea Isle City commissioned the Municipal Engineer Andrew A. Previti, P. E. who also serves as the Planning Board Engineer and the Board of Adjustment Engineer, to perform an analysis of whether the stormwater management development standards for major development should be made applicable to all development in the City, and to render a report. See Appendix 1. Municipal Engineer Previti s resume is attached as Appendix 2. Municipal Engineer Previti performed a municipal profile and developmental history for the island. Municipal Engineer Previti also surveyed and reviewed the physical features of the barrier island as well as the major development standards. Municipal Engineer Previti determined: [T]the standard residential lot today in the City is either fifty (50) feet by one hundred (100) feet, or fifty five (55) feet by one hundred (100) feet. The Townsends Inlet Section of the City still contains developed small lots which reflect the original subdivision of the City. The Municipal Engineer further observed: 2

5 The groundwater level for the major part of the City is only between eighteen (18 ) inches and twenty-four (24 ) inches below the ground surface. Ground water levels have been observed only a few inches below the ground surface during these [storm] events. After reviewing the foregoing, Municipal Engineer Previti reviewed the applicability of the major development standards for stormwater management to all development in the City, specifically those smaller residential lots comprising the majority of the land area in the City. The Municipal Engineer determined that "the various practices to address storm water quantity generation and quality described in section D requires sufficient land area to construct these facilities. Land areas of one (1) acre or more contain sufficient area to construct the development and the facilities to address the increase in runoff generation." Therefore Municipal Engineer Previti recommended that the major development standards be maintained and even allowed for greater restriction because there was sufficient land area to construct the development and the facilities to address the increase in runoff generation. See below. In turning to the standard buildable lot in Sea Isle City the Municipal Engineer came to a different conclusion. He recommended "[T]the size of the standard building lot in the City, plus the high groundwater conditions found on a barrier island, make it impossible to construct on these lots the facilities which are required to address storm water quantity and quality for major development. The standard building lot is just too small and ground water is just too high to be able to apply these standards to all development in the City." Based upon those findings the Municipal engineer recommended that the City not apply the development standards to all development in the City which are currently applied to major development due to insufficient land area and high groundwater conditions. Therefore, the City has implemented the recommendation to conduct a review of the Sea Isle City development standards for major development in the City in order to determine whether those standards should be applicable to all development in the City. The recommendation is these standards should not apply to all development in the City for the reasons stated in the Municipal Engineer s report. Appendix 1. The City accepts said study and recommendation. The City and the Watershed Management Plan recognize The reality of life in Sea Isle City is that the City sits in the middle of the watershed and when a high tide event occurs with nuisance flooding there will be water laying in the streets. As such, it is incumbent upon the City to ensure that all construction meets or exceeds the minimum requirements under the NFIP. See page of Watershed Master Plan. The City has undertaken many strategies that go beyond the minimum requirements of the NFIP. These higher regulatory standards are specifically recognized in the executive summary of 3

6 the Watershed Master Plan at page 5. Honoring the long legacy of Sea Isle City in enacting ordinances which go beyond the minimum requirements of NFIP and in remaining consistent with the recommendation quoted above, the City commissioned the Municipal Engineer to perform a study of existing storm water standards for major development and whether those standards should be enhanced above the minimum requirements of the NFIP and of the State of New Jersey regulatory requirements. The Municipal Engineer performed the requested study and rendered report dated November 16, 2016 with recommendations attached as Appendix 3 to this First Amendment Watershed Master Plan. Municipal Engineer Previti undertook a review of "the existing storm water standards for major development and am recommending certain changes which will increase the requirements." The recommendations increased the requirements beyond the minimum requirements of the state mandated criteria. The recommended increased requirements are substantial: 1. The Municipal Engineer recommended for major development that the development demonstrate through hydrologic and hydraulic analysis that the site and its stormwater management measures maintain 125% of the average annual preconstruction groundwater recharge volume rather than the previous 100%. 2. The Municipal Engineer recommended design stormwater management measures for the post constructing peak runoff rates be increased for the 2, 10 and 100 year storm events from 50, 75, and 80% to 60, 80, and 85% respectively. 3. The Municipal Engineer further recommended that stabilization measures shall not be placed within 200 feet of the category one waterway. This is an increase of 50 feet over the state-mandated minimum of 150 feet. 4. Finally, the Municipal Engineer sought to protect the special water resource protection area by requiring greater then state-mandated protection area. He recommended that in no case shall a stream corridor protection plan allow less than 200 feet in protection area as opposed to 150 feet required under the state mandate. The City of Sea Isle City has committed to accepting this First Amendment to the Plan and recommendation by the Municipal Engineer. The City has accepted the First Amendment to the Plan by adopting an ordinance requiring the higher standards which will become part of the code of the City of Sea Isle City. The enabling ordinance adopting higher standards can be found in Appendix 5. 4

7 CONCLUSION In conclusion, the City of Sea Isle City remains committed to further study of the watershed and committed to maintaining higher standards than the minimums required in order to protect the residents and visitors of the City. The Watershed Master Plan for the City will continue to be amended from time to time as necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Master Plan. Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio succinctly stated the City's commitment to the watershed in the Mayor's message for the Watershed Master Plan, page 8, as follows: The Plan is ambitious and thorough, committing the City to long range planning and implementation of watershed protection and flood mitigation concepts and plans. The residents and visitors of Sea Isle City are up to and ready for the challenge and committed to making whatever sacrifices are necessary to ensure the viability of the watershed and the continuation of life in Sea Isle City with clean and safe waterways from the bay to the Atlantic Ocean. This First Amendment to the Watershed Master Plan is the beginning of the fruits from the long range planning. The City recognizes that it is requesting residents and visitors to accept the challenge of the higher standards contained herein for the long term viability of the City and its infrastructure. Residents, developers and visitors are up to the challenge and will accept the higher standards for watershed protection, applying ingenuity and creativity to continue responsible development in the watershed. 5

8 APPENDIX 1: MUNICIPAL ENGINEER, ANDREW A. PREVITI, P.E. REPORT AND ANALYSIS FOR WHETHER THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE APPLICABLE TO ALL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY 6

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13 APPENDIX 2: MUNICIPAL ENGINEER, ANDREW A. PREVITI, P.E. RESUME 11

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17 APPENDIX 3: MUNICIPAL ENGINEER, ANDREW A. PREVITI, P.E. DATED HIGHER STANDARD REPORT 15

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19 APPENDIX 4: CITY OF SEA ISLE CITY ORDINANCE ADOPTING PLAN 17

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21 APPENDIX 5: ORDINANCE ADOPTING HIGHER STANDARDS 19

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Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual. Chapter 1. Introduction and Purpose

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