Storm Water

LARRY COFFMAN has promised to change forever the way I look at development, so it's underwhelming when he pulls into exhibit A, an old IHOP in Bladensburg. Amid its asphalt and brick surrounds of highways, strip malls and parking lots, the pancake house features a single, smallish island of greenery to one side, maybe 60 feet by 20. But the little outpost of nature, with its shrubs, lush grass and native wildflowers, is far more than a belated nod to landscaping, Coffman explains. It is a "bio-retention cell," or "rain garden" -- an example of how development might proceed around the Chesapeake Bay without its current, guaranteed degradation of adjoining waterways.

The Environmental Protection Agency has levied nearly $250,000 in fines against Baltimore City and Anne Arundel and Harford counties for failing to adequately protect their waterways from pollution washing off streets, parking lots and lawns. The EPA's Mid-Atlantic regional office in Philadelphia proposed fining the three local governments more than a year after inspections found they were violating permits requiring them to control storm-water pollution from government facilities, construction sites and businesses.

Anne Arundel County Council members spent much of a long meeting last night debating new storm water management standards, including whether redevelopment sites should be required to do as much to improve water quality and protect stream beds as new developments and subdivisions. In the end, council members agreed to about a dozen amendments to a storm water management bill, although at times they disagreed over how best to serve the environment and commercial and housing developers. One issue put to rest is what developers of redevelopment sites - existing commercial or industrial areas that are being updated and revitalized - will have to do to meet the new regulations.

The Baltimore Sun recently published an editorial in support of the Maryland Department of the Environment's proposed new storm water regulations, to become effective May 4. What The Sun's editorial neglected to appreciate was the threat these new regulations pose to Smart Growth in Maryland. Particularly for Maryland's most populous jurisdictions, such as Baltimore County, redevelopment provides a critical opportunity to absorb new population growth, maximize the use of public infrastructure and create economic opportunity and jobs, while simultaneously reducing consumption of valuable land and rural open space.

IT MAY BE a cliche, but "pay now or pay later" describes Howard County's options for repairing and replacing aging storm water pipes and drains.The work has to be done before a system failure causes even more expense. Yet the county's elected officials in the past have succumbed to public pressure instead to invest extra money in schools and public safety.County Executive Charles I. Ecker, whose eight-year tenure ends Dec. 7, says one of his few regrets is not having established a long-range plan to pay for improvements in the storm water drainage system.

Carroll County is asking its eight municipalities to contribute money for administration of a program to reduce sediment pollution from storm-water runoff. James E. Slater Jr., Carroll's environmental compliance specialist, is meeting with representatives of the towns this month, urging officials to work together to ensure that federal and state laws governing storm-water management and sediment control are obeyed. Carroll is asking towns to pay the annual salary for an environmental planner who would have authority to enforce federal and state regulations.

A task force will present three payment options for upgrading the county's aging storm water management system at a public hearing tonight -- all of which would involve increasing assessments or fees on county residents.County Executive Charles I. Ecker said yesterday that he would not accept a proposal that would raise residential taxes or fees.Ecker said there is a good possibility that money for upgrading the county's storm sewers will not be allotted if the task force can't come up with a plan that maintains current tax rates.

The Planning Commission Monday night rejected a proposed new infiltration storm water management system in favor of a more traditional basin-type plan for Boulder Hill Estates.After debating for three months the merits of a trench system designed by subdivision engineer Dan Staley, the commission voted to go with a double basin presented by town engineer Bob Bond.Commission members told Staley they had doubts about how long thenew trench system would last and concerns about replacement costs ifit failed.