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Stafford officials are considering increasing the protection of sensitive waterways in the county.
In its meeting last night, the Board of Supervisors debated an ordinance that would guard a portion of the Potomac River watershed from potential development.
The Potomac River Resource Protection Overlay District is located east of Jefferson Davis Highway. It would create a 100-foot buffer around intermittent streams, which are defined as natural or engineered channels that flow during certain times of the year, when groundwater provides for stream flow, according to the ordinance's background report. The county ordinance enforcing the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act already secures a 100-foot buffer around perennial streams through out the county. Those streams include Aquia, Accokeek and Potomac creeks.
The additional buffers can help remove sediments, nutrients and other pollutants from surface water runoff and improve the quality of water flowing into streams and rivers. The overlay district also establishes a 100-foot buffer around slopes that are adjacent to intermittent streams. In some areas, the buffer could extend beyond the 100 feet.
At a 15 percent or greater slope, soil conditions can become highly erodible, according to Planning and Zoning Director Jeff Harvey.
"If you have land disturbance and slopes exceed 15 percent, that's where you have streams that can be negatively impacted by development," he said in an earlier interview.
The overlay district does not affect existing lots of record, unless property lines are changed, or vested preliminary subdivision plans.
However, it does affect new development. Applications for subdivisions, site plans, including commercial developments, rezoning requests and conditional-use permits within the district will come under additional criteria.
The applications must define intermittent streams and 15 percent or higher slopes adjacent to the streams. Once identified, those areas would be restricted from development.
"You could not put a new home or grade the yard out, or clear the area of trees," Harvey explained.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the ordinance in a 4-3 vote last month. It also set the overlay district's boundaries.
But during the meeting, supervisors wanted to know why the specific district was created because it left out sensitive waters in other parts of the county. "Why aren't we protecting the entire Potomac River Basin?" asked Garrisonville Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer.
Supervisors hadn't voted on the ordinance at press time.
Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977
Email: khosh@freelancestar.com
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POTOMAC RIVER RESOURCE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Other localities in have enacted additional buffers to protect waterways.
ALEXANDRIA: 50-foot buffer around intermittent streams
ALBEMARLE COUNTY: 100-foot buffer around intermittent streams in water-supply protection areas
NEWPORT NEWS: 100-foot buffer around intermittent streams in reservoir-protection areas
FAIRFAX COUNTY: 100-foot buffer on intermittent streams that are largely intact and have not been significantly impacted by existing development
GOOCHLAND: 50-foot buffers around intermittent streams and conservation areas on slopes exceeding 15 percent in the rural preservation district
VIRGINIA BEACH: 100-foot and variable-width buffer around highly erodible soils
CHESAPEAKE: 100-foot buffer around land determined by the city to be necessary to protect the quality of state waters
TOWN OF HAYMARKET: 100-foot buffer around two intermittent streams that are recognized as having sensitive soil conditions and steep slopes
--Source: Stafford County Planning and Zoning Department. |
