Henrico County Changes RPA Guidance Effective July 1
Intermittent streams like this are a focus in the July 1 changes
On June 29, 2020, Henrico County’s Engineering & Environmental Services Division announced in an online meeting with the development community that effective July 1, 2020, Henrico County staff will begin following the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board’s 2007 approved guidance to restate and clarify how to determine which nontidal wetlands and waterbodies are required to be part of the Resource Protection Area (RPA). Projects which have been submitted to the County but did not receive formal written comments before July 1 must comply with the revised guidance. While we anticipate that significant changes in RPA extents may occur, County staff will be working with developers on a site-by-site basis to honor any previously agreed upon RPA boundary. Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) can help you evaluate how this change impacts your land development plans for existing and future projects.
Virginia Beach Adoption of Public Works Design Standards Manual Effective June 16, 2020
Changes include revisions to portions of the Stormwater Management Ordinance
On June 30, 2020, Virginia Beach’s Development Services Center¹ (DSC) released a notice for consultants, builders and developers, announcing City Council’s June 16, 2020 adoption of the Public Works Design Standards Manual (PWDSM) and a number of associated Codes and Ordinances. All provisions are applicable immediately and the notice also provides guidelines for maintaining project compliance during a transition period. Projects may continue to incorporate design based on the 2015 Public Works Specifications and Standards (PWSS) if certain criteria are met (as listed below), however the PWDSM does replace the PWSS. Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) can help you evaluate how the new PWDSM impacts your current and future projects.
CCAA Brings Energy, Transportation, and Monarch Butterflies Together
Utilities, energy companies, and state Departments of Transportation who manage extensive rights-of-way and other lands face an uncertain future for their infrastructure maintenance and modernization activities. The monarch butterfly, for which those lands provide migration corridors and habitat, may be a candidate for listing as a threatened or endangered species due to declining habitat by December 2020; that listing would bring implications for traditional land management in those corridors. Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. can help you evaluate your lands for the best management options, including participation in the Monarch Butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA).
WSSI CU-Structural Soil® Patio Update
Spring 2020 brought plenty of rain and sunshine to Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.’s Gainesville, Virginia office, and our CU-Structural Soil® patio. In October 2018 we renovated the patio at our LEED-Gold certified headquarters, using this engineered soil blend to provide stormwater mitigation and support tree root growth. This sustainable feature joined many others that we have implemented on our grounds, and we are happy to report on its effectiveness.