Leary Property Community Housing Task Force 2011-05-25-LEARY-rpt (FINAL)

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LEARY PROPERTY COMMUNITY HOUSING TASK FORCE FINAL REPORT MAY 25, 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS & ENERGY EFFICIENCY STORMWATER Several abutters have shared their concerns over the possibility of new development increasing the area's storm water runoff, and therefore increasing the risk of flooding. Storm water runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt events flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground.As the runoff flows over the land or impervious surfaces (paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops), it accumulates debris, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants that could adversely affect water quality if the runoff is discharged untreated. The primary method to control storm water discharges is the use of best management practices (BMPs). In this case the Task Force is recommending that the development employ as many low-impact development (LID) storm water techniques as possible. LID could be briefly summarized as an innovative storm water management approach with a basic principle that is modeled after nature: manage rainfall at the source using uniformly distributed decentralized micro-scale controls. A partial list of LID techniques includes the following: bioretention (rain gardens, grassed swales); disconnectivity (rain barrels, dry wells); minimize Impervious area (permeable pavers); and, conservation (limit landscaping water usage). WETLANDS The Task Force is aware that the site is bounded by a wetland system to the rear.The Task Force is committed to protecting the resource area from any deleterious effects of nearby development. Wetlands protection is most effective when coordinated with other surface and ground-water protection programs such as mentioned above. TREES There would appear to be several trees on the site that are protected by the Town's Tree Bylaw. The development of the Leary site should employ tree protection strategies to conserve as many healthy trees on site as possible. Actions to encourage tree protection and reduce the risk of injuring or losing valuable trees should be taken at every possible opportunity during the development phase of the project. Conserving as many existing trees as possible will minimize the impacts of construction and increase the likelihood of a speedy integration of the new development into its context. Healthy trees enhance property values and community development by providing shade, wildlife habitat, and beauty. ENERGY EFFICIENCY The Task Force recommends that the structures to be built to reduce the energy demands as much as possible, ideally near zero. Building attached units reduces heating and cooling costs for a more ecologically sustainable project, further reducing its carbon footprint. A net zero-energy building (ZEB) is a residential or commercial building with greatly reduced energy needs through efficiency gains such that the balance of energy needs can be supplied with renewable technologies.There is no universal definition of the phrase "zero energy."The Task Force recommends that the project strive to produce as much energy as it consumes over a year's time. This efficiency can be achieved through active power production from solar panels combined with passive usage reducers to make the development as energy efficient as possible. 7