Farragut board eases stormwater detention rules
Developers planning projects in the Town of Farragut may be getting a break.
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously in favor of amending its stormwater management control ordinance, Section 111-7, regarding requirements for stormwater detention.
Town engineer Darryl Smith said the amendment “would remove a requirement for stormwater detention in the lower portion of a watershed where engineering documentation can demonstrate that this would have a positive effect on overall stormwater management due to the timing of stormwater runoff.
“As noted during discussion with the [Farragut Municipal] Planning Commission, there is a reasonable argument to allow developments in the lower portions of large watersheds to be exempt from stormwater detention requirements,” he said. “This should be considered only for developments draining directly into a major stream or only across other properties that are part of the same development before entering the stream.
“The time required for runoff from the farthest reach of the watershed to flow overland and on to the larger stream to a downstream location dictates the time of the peak discharge at that particular location,” Smith explained. “If a site in the lowest portions of the watershed does not detain its runoff, the peak discharge from the site might be released long before the peak discharge from the major stream arrives from higher portions of the watershed.
“Simply stated, omitting detention at the lowest portions of the watershed can actually reduce the peak discharge of the overall watershed,” he added.
“The amendments that are reflected in Ordinance 26-06 would modify Section 111-7, adding language that would allow omission of detention in the lowest portions of Turkey Creek, North Fork of Turkey Creek and Little Turkey Creek,” Smith said. “At their meeting on Feb. 19, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of Ordinance 26-06 through Resolution PC-26-01.”
In other business, the Board proclaimed Friday, March 20, as Arbor Day in the Town. As part of that designation, the Town will have a program at Farragut Intermediate School for its third-graders on March 20. Additionally,
the third-graders are being asked to write an essay, which will be displayed from March 16 to March 20 in the Farragut Town Hall Rotunda.
