Green Infrastructure Plan for Private Property in Richmond, Virginia. Rebecca C
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Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects Urban and Regional Studies and Planning 2021 Green Infrastructure Plan for Private Property in Richmond, Virginia. rebecca c. acland Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/murp_capstone Part of the Urban Studies and Planning Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/murp_capstone/48 This Professional Plan Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Urban and Regional Studies and Planning at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Green Infrastructure Plan for Private Property in Richmond, Virginia Prepared for: The Richmond Department of Public Utilities and RVAH2O Prepared by: Rebecca Acland Virginia Commonwealth University Master of Urban and Regional Planning L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Panel Members: Grace LeRose, Richmond DPU Jennifer Clarke, Richmond DPU and RVAH2O Dr Shruti Syal, Academic Advisor Dr Damian Pitt, Academic Advisor Dr Verma, Professional Plan Coordinator 0 Table of Contents Definitions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5 Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Introduction….…..……………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Purpose of this plan…………..…………..…………………………………………………………………………...7 Client Information……………….……………………………………………………..……………………………..8 Plan Implementation………..………………………………………………………………………………….……..9 Background……………………………………………………...………………………………………....……...10 Study Area………….………………………………………………………………..………………………….…...10 Combined Sewer Systems….……………..…………………………………………………………………….…...12 Stormwater Management……………..……………………………………………………………….……….……13 Green Infrastructure………………………………………………….…………..…………………………….……15 Community Engagement, Public Participation, and Buy-in……….…………………………………………….….17 Equity Considerations……………..…………………………………………………………………………..…….18 Related Plans.…………..………………………………………………………………………………….….……..20 Planning Process.…………………………………………………...…………………………………….…………23 Research methods.………… ……………………………….…….…………………………………………….…..23 Framework for Planning Process…….….……………………………………………….………….………….…...26 Findings.……………………………………………………...……………….………………………….………….27 Case Studies.……… ……………….…………………………………………………………….……….….……..27 Richmond’s Water………………….………………………………………………..………………….…….…….32 Richmond Residential Property.…..…………………………………………………….………………..…………38 Survey Results.………..…………………………………………………….………………….…………..………..46 Summary of Findings…..……………………………………………………….………………….……….……….52 Recommendations.……………………………………………...………………………………….…………….….54 Implementation.…………………………………………...………………………………………….……………..61 1 Indicators of Success………………………………………………………………………………….……………..62 Appendix A………..………………………….………….………………………………………………………….63 Appendix B…….……………………………..……………………………….…………………………………….65 Sources.……….…………..…………………………………………………………………………………….…...72 2 FIGURES & TABLES Figure 1. Monument Avenue……………………………………………………………….……..………………….6 Figure 2. Richmond DPU......……………………………….………………………..……………….………………8 Figure 3. RVAH20……………………………………….…………………..……………………………………….8 Figure 4. City of Richmond, Virginia…...…………………………………..………………………………………10 Figure 5. Texas Beach, Richmond, Va……………………..………………..……………………………………...11 Figure 6. Kayaking in the James….….……………………………………..……………………………………….11 Figure 7. Combined Sewer Overflows………………………...….………………………………………………...12 Figure 8. GI Stormwater Management……………………………………………………………………………...15 Figure 9. Type of Green Infrastructure……...………………………………………………………………………17 Figure 10. RVA Clean Water Plan…..………………………………………………………………………………21 Figure 11. RVAGreen…..……………….…………………………………………………………………………..22 Figure 12. Richmond Priority Watershed..………………………………………………………………………….33 Figure 13. Richmond Redline Map………………………………………………………………………………….33 Figure 14. RVAH2O “Pick up the Poop” Campaign……………………………………………………….……….36 Figure 15. RVA Storm Drain Art……………………………………………………………………………………37 Figure 16. DPU Rain Barrel Painting Program…………………………………………………..………………….37 Figure 17. Richmond Residential Properties…………………………………………………………………….….39 Figure 18. Opportunity Zones……………………………………………………………………………………….42 Table 1. Overview of Research Methods……………………………………………………………………………24 Table 2. Case Study Summary………………………………………………………………………………………31 Table 3. Opportunity Zones………………………..………………………………………………………………..44 Table 4. Survey Response to Desired Green Infrastructure…………………………………………………………47 Table 5. GI Costs……………………………………………………………………………………………………48 Table 6. Actions for Implementation………………..………………………………………………………………61 Table 6. Survey Question 8…………………………………………………………….……………………………68 Table 7. Survey Question 7………..……………………………………………..…………….……………………71 3 DEFINITIONS & ACCRONYMS Combined Sewer Systems (CSS): A sewer system that collects rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater into one pipe. Under normal conditions, it transports all of the wastewater it collects to a water treatment plant for treatment, then discharges treated water to a water body.1 Green Infrastructure (GI): A cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provide many community benefits. The measures range from plants or soil systems, permeable pavement or other permeable surfaces, stormwater harvesting that reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters.2 Public Buy-In: is the acceptance of and willingness to actively support and participate in a proposed initiative, plan, or policy3 Community Engagement: Working collaboratively with communities in an attempt to achieve long-term sustainable outcomes, processes, education, relationships, decision-making, or implementation.4 Equitable Outcome: the elimination of barriers that have prevented the participation of marginalized groups in society. Aiming for equitable outcomes involves increasing the fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as the distribution of resources. Equity is based on need – on meeting people where they are to ensure they have the same access, resources, and opportunities as others.5 1 The Environmental Protection Agency. “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.” 2 The Environmental Protection Agency, “Green Infrastructure.” 3 Meriam-Webster 4 Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education. “What is community engagement.” 5 Department of Conservation and Recreation “Diversity, Equity Inclusion Strategic Plan” 4 Executive Summary The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU), is actively collaborating with RVAH2O, This plan is focusing on Richmond’s residential among other community partners, on the city of private property as it is the largest private property Richmond’s Green Infrastructure Master Plan. This land use, constituting approximately one third of the GI Master Plan focuses on converting grey total land area in the City. As such, increasing public infrastructure to green infrastructure on city owned participation in stormwater management through GI, public property. While this plan is focused primarily particularly that of homeowners, is critical to on public property, representatives from the DPU expanding the implementation of GI across Richmond have identified the importance of increasing GI and by doing so improving and maintaining water implementation on Richmond’s private property for quality standards. stormwater management and water quality of the James River and its tributaries. The objective of this plan is to provide recommendations to increase public awareness and As privately-owned property is the dominant land participation in residential green infrastructure ownership in urban areas, it is important to target GI implementation in the City of Richmond. to this audience. The need to cultivate private property owner’s participation in GI has been a topic of focus for the DPU in past years. Ben Jones, a VCU alumni, created the Green Infrastructure Initiative Plan in 2019. Jones plan focused on private property throughout Richmond, and proposed recommendations on programs and policies geared towards the increase of privately-owned GI. 5 INTRODUCTION Purpose of this Plan During extreme rain events, the City of Richmond Virginia combined sewer system (CSS) releases untreated, or partially treated, wastewater and human effluent into the James river and its tributaries. In 2018 more than 3 billion gallons of wastewater flooded into the James River from the City of Richmond.6 Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) can cause public health hazards and environmental degradation. To help reduce the number over overflows and mitigate the harmful effects of urban wastewater runoff green infrastructure (GI) is a relatively new but increasingly adopted stormwater management strategy. The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is currently creating the Richmond “Green Infrastructure Master Plan” which focuses on GI on city-owned land. While converting older City owned land grey sewer infrastructure into green infrastructure is extremely beneficial to the environment and City as a whole, however as the majority of urban land is privately owned it is important to expand effort to increase private GI implementation. This plan seeks to identify GI opportunities on privately owned properties, more specifically residential property in Richmond. Residential