HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Environmental Advisory Committee_Tab 06_8/11/2021Agenda Item #6.
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
STAFF MEMO
Meeting: Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) - Aug 11 2021
Staff Contact: Thomas Bradford, EAC Chair Department: Environmental Advisory
Committee
Draft Recommendations to the EAC on the Utilities Element, Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge
Sub Element, of the Comprehensive Plan for Consideration of the Village Council and Staff Per Request
of EAC Members
SUMMARY: 91
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Backup Memo Utilities Ele Sub Ele Nat Grnd H2O Aquifer Recharge 081121
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Agenda Item #6.
Village of Tequesta
Environmental Advisory
Committee
Memo
To: Environmental Advisory Committee Members
From: Thomas G. Bradford, Chair, EAC
cc: NA
Date: August 11, 2021
Re: Additions to the Draft Recommendations to the EAC on the Utilities Element,
Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge Sub -Element, of the VOT Comprehensive
Plan as Requested by the EAC for Consideration of the Village Council and Staff
VOT Resolution No. 24-19, which created the EAC, requires the EAC "...to within the bounds of
the Village's Comprehensive Development Plan, develop recommendations for goals, objectives
and policies relative to sustainingand nd improving the environment of the Village of Tequesta." To
this end, the EAC is reviewing the Utilities Element of the VOT Comprehensive Plan. The Utilities
Element contains five sub elements entitled Sanitary Sewer, Solid Waste, Potable Water,
Stormwater Management, and Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge. In order to keep the review
process manageable only one of the sub elements will be reviewed at each EAC meeting. This
memo addresses the Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge Sub -Element.
Items highlighted in yellow are noted places where an environmental matter is stated in the
Element or sub element.
You are encouraged to review the Element or sub -element and propose where you see
environmental issues requiring EAC review potentially overlooked in this memorandum or make
suggestions on how to modify or add to the comments and options provided herein to consider for
recommendation to the Village Council and staff. The link to the VOT Comprehensive Plan is as
follows:
bttp://tequesta.org/84/Communiiy-Development
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Agenda Item #6.
Pertinent sections pertaining to environmental issues within the Utilities Element, Sub Element
Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge of the VOT Comprehensive Plan and my comments are
as follows:
UTILITES ELEMENT, NATURAL GROUNDWATER AQUIFER RECHARGE SUB -
ELEMENT
Goal 1.0.0. The functions of natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas within the Village will be
protected and maintained.
TGB Comment: Since aquifer recharge areas are surface features, they are subject to alteration by
development. Covering a recharge area with impervious surfaces, such as roads, parking lots, and
buildings reduces the area available for rainfall percolation, altering the total rate and volume of
recharge in that area. Increasing the rate at which stormwater drains from recharge area surfaces
also decreases recharge potential. A second concern related to development within aquifer
recharge areas is the potential for contamination of groundwater within the aquifer. Just as with
stormwater runoff to surface waters, pollutants picked up by runoff, which enters an aquifer, can
degrade the quality of the groundwater. Since water may flow within an aquifer in a manner similar
to surface water flow, downstream portions of the groundwater may be polluted over time. This
becomes particularly significant when the aquifer is tapped as a potable water supply downstream.
One should know the following for this sub -element. What is the difference between detention
and retention Ponds? A detention, or dry, pond has an orifice level at the bottom of the basin and
does not have a permanent pool of water. A retention basin or pond has a riser and orifice at a
higher point and therefore retains a permanent pool of water. In Florida, a retention pond will not
likely retain water permanently due to sandy soils unless the bottom is lined with an impervious
membrane of some sort.
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
1) The Tequesta Village Council and staff should preserve the lands it owns at Remembrance
Park and that land between Cypress Drive and the FEC Railroad property and expand its
ownership of preserved open space land wherever financially feasible to facilitate
reductions in annual stormwater runoff volume, while providing native habitat for wildlife
and cleaner air for all. Open space land, such as most of Tequesta Park, which is under
Tequesta control, serves as a natural groundwater aquifer recharge area.
2) The Village Council and/or staff should strengthen the internal Development Review
Committee (DRC) process for compliance with industry best practices, utilization of state
of the art infrastructure, and to assign CIP included costs to new development proposals
wherein a defendable nexus can be established to assign such costs, or a portion thereof, as
a condition of approval of said development, upgrade all subdivision and on -site
stormwater regulations to be reviewed by DRC or the Building Official, and recalculate
E
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Agenda Item #6.
the amount of impervious surface for every property in the Village since the creation of the
Tequesta Stormwater Utility to ensure the proper amount of equivalent residential units
(ERU) have been assigned to each property for adequate and accurate assessment rate
calculations. Natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas should not be developed and
manmade retention/detention areas be sufficient in size, maintained at development
expense and meet all requirements of the SFWMD and other agencies.
3) Preservation of natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas are a viable part of sustainable
stormwater management alternatives to the traditional piped only approach. The EAC has
recommended use of sustainable stormwater management alternatives in its review of the
stormwater management sub -element of the Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The creation and maintenance of manmade groundwater aquifer recharge areas (detention
and retention facilities) to accommodate new development or for other purposes are a
viable part of sustainable stormwater management alternatives to the traditional piped only
approach and has been recommended by the EAC for use in its review of the stormwater
management sub -element of the Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
Objective: 1.1.0 The Village shall develop an active program that provides for the
protection and maintenance of natural groundwater recharge areas, including natural
drainage features, within the Village to ensure or enhance groundwater recharge to the
surficial aquifer.
TGB Comment: The Dover Ditch, a drainage area on the border with Jupiter, may have originally
been a natural ground water recharge area.
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
1) Staff and consultants should identify and properly manage natural ground water recharge
areas owned or under Tequesta control, including the Dover Ditch, to maximize ground
water recharge and minimize salt water intrusion.
2) The Tequesta Village Council and staff should preserve the lands it owns at Remembrance
Park and that land between Cypress Drive and the FEC Railroad property and expand its
ownership of preserved open space land wherever financially feasible to facilitate
reductions in annual stormwater runoff volume, while providing native habitat for wildlife
and cleaner air for all. Open space land, such as most of Tequesta Park, which is under
Tequesta control, serves as a natural groundwater aquifer recharge area.
3) Preservation of natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas are a viable part of sustainable
stormwater management alternatives to the traditional piped only approach. The EAC has
recommended use of sustainable stormwater management alternatives in its review of the
stormwater management sub -element of the Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The creation and maintenance of manmade groundwater aquifer recharge areas (detention
and retention facilities) to accommodate new development or for other purposes are a
viable part of sustainable stormwater management alternatives to the traditional piped only
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Agenda Item #6.
approach and has been recommended by the EAC for use in its review of the stormwater
management sub -element of the Utilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan
Policy: 1.1.1- The subdivision regulations shall include standards for inclusion of recharge areas
in open space preservation requirements.
TGB Comment: Staff and consultants should add this to the Village Code of Ordinances if not
already done for developer information and enforcement. I found nothing in the Village
Subdivision regulations referencing "standards for inclusion of open space preservation
requirements."
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
The Village is required to add standards for inclusion of open space preservation requirements in
the subdivision regulations of the Village for user information and enforcement. Please do so.
Policy: 1.1.2 - The stormwater drainage regulations will continue requiring retention of stormwater
runoff to maximize groundwater recharge potential.
TGB Comment: What is "maximize groundwater recharge potential" exactly? Could it mean
telling the developer the project is not allowed since that would "maximize groundwater recharge
potential?" Perhaps it would be best to reference the SFWMD standards for detention/retention
and indicate these must always be met to their highest standard?
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
Require the use of, and compliance with, the highest standard for retention of stormwater runoff
in use by the SFWMD or other applicable regulatory authority over such issues in Tequesta in
order to maximize groundwater recharge potential.
Policy: 1.1.3- The Village shall coordinate the development and implementation of aquifer
recharge area protection programs to meet national, State, regional and local objectives.
TGB Comment: No comment. The Village has no choice in the matter.
EAC Proposed Options: Fine as written.
Policy: 1.1.4 - Continue to encourage and work closely with the Loxahatchee River
Environmental Control District (LRECD) to facilitate Irrigation Quality water systems for
irrigation usage.
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Agenda Item #6.
TGB Comment: IQ water can be used, if capacity exists, for irrigation of Tequesta Park
recreational needs and for landscaping the US 1 and the Old Dixie Highway corridors, once
properly landscaped as anticipated to occur as an outcome of the 2021 Charrette.
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
Staff should investigate and report on the capacity, costs and the ability to extend IQ water to
Tequesta Park, Old Dixie Highway and US 1 in Tequesta for recreational and landscaping
irrigation.
Policy: 1.2.5 - The Village shall support SFWMD efforts to maintain and expand the regional
groundwater monitoring network to assess the movement of the saltwater front and ensure
adequate data for modeling progression of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion.
TGB Comment: The Village doesn't really have any choice in the matter, being surrounded on
three sides by brackish water. We have experienced saltwater intrusion problems from drought
and from over pumping raw water from the Surficial Aquifer in the past. In addition, in the past
brackish water from the Loxahatchee River was allowed to creep eastward into the Dover Ditch
resulting in saltwater intrusion toward the center of the largest peninsula constituting Tequesta.
So, a functional weir dam is required to keep river water out at high tide and discharge into the
river during medium and low tide.
EAC Proposed Options: Options to consider for recommendation to the Village Council and staff
are:
Staff must stay actively engaged with the SFWMD program for monitoring groundwater in our
water service area and region by timely monitoring all reports from the SFWMD program for
monitoring groundwater and immediately report all aberrations and concerns of the SFWMD and
concerns of staff, if different, to the attention of the Village Manager and Village Council.
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