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Clean Rivers, Clean Lake

Juli Beth Hinds, AICP
Principal
Birchline Planning LLC
Permeable
Surfacing:
Lessons and
Strategies from
the Codes &
Ordinances
Project
Milwaukee
Brookfield
Menomonee Falls
Germantown
Wauwatosa
Greenfield
Glendale
Elm Grove
Butler
Percent Impervious by Subbasin
Municipality Border
Percent Impervious
0-5%
5-10%
10-15%
15-20%
20-25%
25-30%
30-35%
35-40%
+40%
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Focus of Code Audit:
MMSDs Regional Green Infrastructure Plan Goal to
Manage 1
st
! inch of rainfall (740 mg) with GI
Recommendations by GI
Strategy
Recommendations by
impervious area
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Permeable Surfacing
Lessons & Strategies
from Baseball
(Cause its May, and who doesnt love baseball?!)
1. Players, rules, and officiating all affect the outcome of
the game.
2. The umpire can make all the difference.
3. The past is still with us for some teams more than
others.
4. Legends have great power, and credibility is an issue,
but experience can convert the skeptics.
5. Weve got to work on our clichs.
6. Unexpected things happen in baseball!
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#1. Players, Rules & Officiating All Affect
the Outcome of the Game.
! Audit looked at 14 different issues for the use
of permeable surfacing, including:
1. Experience/attitudes towards permeables
2. Use of grasscrete for public safety or overflow areas
(often the first type allowed)
3. References and standards (if any!) adopted or used
4. Code language:
a. How is permeable surfacing defined (if at all)?
b. Is it allowed, prohibited, or not mentioned?
c. If allowed, through what approval process (as-of-
right/discretionary)?
5. Will use of permeable materials count towards volume
requirements in stormwater management plans?
! *Audit & many recommendations focused on
parking lots (22%): incorporating permeable
surfacing and GI measures into landscaping,
surfacing, design requirements
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Menomonee Audit Results:
Code Language & Interpretation
Red/Orange: Language prohibits or discourages use
Blue: Code does not address issue
Green/Dark Green: Language Allows or encourages use
3 of 9
municipalities
specifically
allow
permeable
surfacing

7 of 9 have
language
specifically
stating
asphalt or
concrete
somewhere

*Variance
procedures are
common but
uncertain!!!
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Code Language Examples:
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#2. The umpire makes all the
difference to the outcome.
! Attitude, experience of public
works and planning review staff is
probably the most important factor
in how quickly permeable surfacing
will be adopted and codes
changed
! Even positive code language still
requires interpretation!
! Staff level working groups,
training, communication are
critically important to the use of
permeable surfacing!
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Whos the Umpire? Even when the out
looks good, there may be issues.
! 335-32 F. Surfacing. All o!-
street parking areas shall be
surfaced with asphalt,
concrete or permeable brick
pavers and shall be drained so
as to dispose of all surface
water accumulated in the
parking area in such a way as
to preclude drainage of water
onto adjacent properties or
toward structures. Surfacing
shall be in accordance with
engineering standards and
specications approved by the
Village Manager, and surfacing
shall be completed within one
year after the date of the
permit.
! Specifically says permeable brick
pavers (though this locks the
municipality into one type what about
PaveDrain? Concrete? New product?)
! Engineering standards and
specifications approved by the Village
Manager Manager has (presumably)
approved a set of standards (hopefully
these are realistic and can be met)
! Not discretionary if your permeable
brick pavers meet the Village Managers
approved standards, surfacing will be
approved.
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#3. The past is still with us for
some teams more than others.
! Many, MANY codes and
municipal standards &
specifications date from the
1950s or 1960s
! **Expensive, time consuming
and politically difficult to change
! Must work within the code
language in whatever way is
easiest:
! Make minor amendments
! Adopt a technical standard by
reference
! Do NOT wait around for a code
overhaul even if you are a
Cubs fan!
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Amending an Old Code:
Kinda like renovations at Wrigley.
! (5) Surfacing. All off-street
parking areas shall be surfaced with
an asphaltic or portland cement
pavement in accordance with
Village standards and specifications
so as to provide a durable and
dustfree surface, and shall be so
graded and drained as to dispose of
all surface water. Permeable
surfacing may be used upon review
and approval by the Village
Engineer. Any parking area for
more than five (5) vehicles shall
have the aisles and spaces clearly
marked.
! All parking areas shall be surfaced
with a dustless all-weather material
such as bituminous concrete, or
asphalt, or a suitable type of
permeable surfacing, and shall be
of sufficient strength to maintain the
surface and support the normal load
placed on it.
! Delete the specific asphaltic or
portland cement allows surfacing to
be done in accordance with Village
standards, which are easier to amend
than a municipal code
! Add a discretionary review allowance
it still depends on who is reviewing
it, but there is now
! Sufficient strength is one way to
create a performance standard but
the umpire will judge whats
sufficient unless your code or
standard is specific!
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#4. Legends have great power, and
credibility is an issue.
! WE HEARD IT FAILED AT HART PARK
! WE KNOW IT CLOGS AFTER {X}
YEARS.
! THE INSTALLERS DONT KNOW WHAT
THEYRE DOING.
! COSTS AND PRICING ARE ALL OVER
THE MAP.
! IT DOESNT WORK IN COLD
CLIMATES.
! Codes wont matter if staff believe
the myths, and discourage use!
CURSES AND LEGENDS:
{sigh}
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But curses and terrible burdens
can be overcome.
! Increasing interest in and use of permeable
paver block systems
! DNR Conservation Practice Standard 1008
! Great demonstration projects: Do part of
the parking lot, not the whole thing
! Next curse to be addressed is
maintenance & performance over time.
*correct*
standing
order in
the AL
East
(shudder)
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#5. Were all going to have to work on our
clichs in the codes, and elsewhere
Youre gonna have to learn your clichs. Youre gonna
have to study them, youre gonna have to know them.
Theyre your friends. Write this down.
- Crash Davis, Bull Durham
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Important Clichs for Codes and
Permeable Surfacing:
! DEFINITION: Permeable surfacing shall mean a material
or materials and accompanying subsurface treatments
designed and installed specifically to allow stormwater to
penetrate into the material, thereby reducing the volume of
storm water runoff from the surfaced area. Permeable
surfacing may include without limitation paver blocks,
grasscrete or similar structural support materials, and
permeable concrete or asphalt.
! CODE ALLOWANCE: Permeable surfacing designed in
conformance with Wisconsin DNR Conservation Practice
Standard 1008 may be used in off-site parking areas upon
approval of design and maintenance plans by the City
Engineer.
! STORMWATER PLANS: Permeable pavement meeting
Village specifications for subsurface storage shall be treated
as detention control facilities for purposes of evaluating
conformance with the stormwater volume management
requirements of this Section.
! MAINTENANCE: Need a good clich. How often do
different products require sweeping to work to the
satisfaction of our umpires?
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#6. Unexpected things happen in
baseball.
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Thank you!
Juli Beth Hinds, AICP
Principal
Birchline Planning LLC
802-324-5760
birchlineplanningllc@gmail.com