Overland Park Taking Aim at Water Pollution

Jul. 13–Looming federal regulations on water pollution are the impetus behind a unique offer from Overland Park to developers.

Here’s the pitch: Under a proposal approved by Overland Park’s City Council on Monday, the city would share the costs of installing top-of-the-line storm-water treatment measures for a limited number of new development projects. The idea would be for the city and developers to get their bearings before more stringent standards for treatment of storm water in new developments. The standard are expected to go into effect in fall 2007.

“We’re dangling a carrot in the hopes of encouraging a smooth resolution,” said City Councilman Jim Hix, who is a member of the city’s Public Works Committee.

There’s a catch, though. Developers in Overland Park aren’t currently required to abide by the new standards. Even with the city sharing the burden, the new storm-water measures will still cost more than the status quo.

City officials are still optimistic they’ll have some takers. Bill Heatherman, the city’s storm-water engineer, said the city’s had a few “modest nibbles” from developers and engineers who do a lot of work in the area. When the new regulations take effect, developers will be required to meet the new standards for all new development without financial help from the city.

The benefit for the city in supporting new storm-water measures is getting a firmer grasp on what shape new regulations will take, Heatherman said, even if the formal requirements haven’t been fully enunciated yet.

What is clear is this: Under the new rules, Heatherman said, Overland Park expects to be required to take a two-part approach to prevent water pollution, including increased public education and regulating treatment of storm water for the first time.

The city’s Healthy Streams Fair, which was held in March, was an example of how the city would comply with the first part of new requirements. Beginning to address the second part of the requirements is the motivation behind the city’s offer to developers.

Currently there are no regulations for storm-water treatment. The 2007 regulations would decree that cities limit the amount of solids and sediments clumps that enter waterways. Possible methods for that could take many forms, including such unobtrusive treatment methods as natural wetlands or rain gardens in residential areas, Heatherman said. Parking lots may see less natural treatment methods, such as concrete chambers where oil and grit can be separated from runoff, Heatherman said. What is unlikely is large, mechanical structures like those used for wastewater treatment.

However they are dealt with, Hix said, it was important the city got out ahead of the new regulations and accepted them as a fact of life.

“There’s no point in being an ostrich and putting our head in the sand about it,” he said.

Hix said the city needed “to take a number of baby steps” toward compliance. Partnering with developers is a good start, he said, because it would allow the city to get a better understanding without taking any drastic steps. Like Heatherman, he is optimistic that area developers will take advantage of the city’s offer.

But, Hix concedes, there are a lot of “ifs” even with environmentally conscious developers.

“There’s timing, the project has to be at the right stage of the development process, an interest on the developer’s part. They have to be willing to spend money,” Hix said. “But it’s very possible there are some developers who would like to take part.”

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