We need you to email the Mayor and City Council this weekend and early next week (March 6-9) and tell them there must be meaningful stormwater criteria in the zoning ordinance. Ask the council to amend the ordinance before them (as requested in the Feb. 29 Memo). Then be sure to attend and bring family and friends to the March 15, 2004 City Council Hearing on the Zoning of the Philips Farm when the council will vote on zoning. This will determine how much land will be allowed to be developed on each tract, whether it will be planned commercial or unplanned, and what if any conditions for adequate stormwater treatment will be tied to the zoning.

THE STANDARDS THE COUNSEL SHOULD REQUIRE to make sure there is PROTECTION FOR ROCKBRIDGE STATE PARK are listed below. [A DETAILED EXPLANATION IS IN THE MEMO]

The developer shall design and construct stormwater improvements which will maintain existing or current hydrological conditions in each watershed as follows:

1. Maintain the predevelopment peak flow rates for runoff for larger storms (greater than 2 year return interval)

2. Reduce to 50% of predevelopment flow rates the runoff from the developed site for the 2 year, 1 year and the water quality design storm.

3. Maintain the existing (current) volume of runoff for the runoff events up to a 5 year return interval storm.

4. Maintain or reduce pollutants in the runoff from the developed site, on an average annual loading basis, when compared to the current condition.

There are many other concerns:

• the extensive amount of development proposed
• huge costs of infrastructure for the Columbia taxpayers
• traffic concerns
• lack of a watershed plan for this area. At a bare minimum there must be a bottom-line stormwater standard the developer MUST meet that will be tied to the zoning and guarantee that the massive stormwater & pollution created by this extensive development does not harm the watersheds that flow into Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, ½ mile southwest of the Philips Tract.

Email your concerns to the Mayor and City Council before March 1st. Emails should be sent to:

Mayor Hindman: mayor@gocolumbiamo.com
Almeta Crayton: ward1@gocolumbiamo.com
Chris Janku: ward2@gocolumbiamo.com
Bob Hutton: ward3@gocolumbiamo.com
Jim Loveless: ward4@gocolumbiamo.com
Brian Ash: ward6@gocolumbiamo.com
(John John, Ward 5, has a conflict of interest and cannot vote. He is the real estate agent for the sale of this property to Mr. Sapp.)

Other Smart Growth Information

Philips Property Relationship to Clear Creek, Gans Creek, and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park