Vermont Business Magazine Through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as part of the State’s Clean Water Initiative, the Town of Jericho and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) will develop a Stormwater Master Plan for the Town. This type of planning is needed now as the 2016 Jericho Comprehensive Town Plan predicts a 5% increase in population by 2030, with new development concentrated in the town’s three state-designated village centers.
The grant will be used to hire a consultant to develop the Plan in consultation with Town staff and boards. The scope of work includes a review of pre-existing data, on-the-ground-assessment of problem areas, a detailed identification of recommended projects and, for six of those projects, the preparation of conceptual plans and budget estimates. The Plan will focus on village centers that are substantially developed with mixed uses along the busy roads of VT Route 15 and Browns Trace Road. Most of this area is fairly developed and the plan may look for green stormwater infrastructure retrofits for the older subdivisions, particularly off of Route 15. These techniques focus on infiltrating rain runoff rather than, for example, capturing and diverting it into pipes and ponds. Additionally, over the years small scale subdivisions have occurred along rural roads with little to no attention paid to stormwater runoff. As a result, runoff from properties outside of the road right of way has been a major cause of increased road erosion/ditch erosion.
Completion of the Stormwater Master Plan is anticipated in the spring of 2017. Projects recommended by the Plan will be considered by the Town for action as well as forwarded to the Vermont DEC for possible inclusion in both the Lamoille River and Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan.
Source: CCRPC 8.2.2016