The following terms, phrases, words, and derivatives shall have the meaning defined below:
Applicant. Any person proposing or implementing the development or redevelopment of land.
BMP or best management practice. A practice, or combination of practices and design criteria that comply with the city construction stormwater management guidance manual, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's Guidebook of BMPs for Michigan Watersheds, the Low Impact Development Manual for Michigan, or equivalent practices and design criteria that accomplish the purposes of this chapter (including, but not limited to minimizing stormwater runoff and preventing the discharge of pollutants into stormwater) as determined by the city and/or, where appropriate, the standards of the Ingham County drain commissioner.
Channel. A natural or artificial watercourse with a definite bed and banks that conducts continuously or periodically flowing water.
Conveyance facility. A storm drain, pipe, swale, or channel.
Designer. The licensed professional engineer, landscape architect or professional surveyor responsible for the design of the stormwater management plan.
Detention. A system which is designed to capture stormwater and release it over a given period of time through an outlet structure at a controlled rate. The goals of this BMP are to control peak discharge rates and provide gravity settling of pollutants.
Developed or development. The installation or construction of impervious surfaces on a development site that require, pursuant to state law or local ordinance, city approval of a site plan, site condominium, special land use, planned unit development, rezoning of land, land division approval, private road approval, or other approvals required for the development of land or the erection of buildings or structures. Significant alteration of land topography which increases the rate of water flow or concentration in a manner which increases the likelihood of soil erosion and flooding; provided, however, that for the purposes of this article only, developed or development shall not include the actual construction of, or an addition, extension, or modification to, an individual single-family or a two-family detached dwelling that disturbs less than one acre.
Easement. A legal right granted by a landowner to a grantee allowing the use of private land for conveyance or treatment of stormwater runoff and access to stormwater practices.
Engineered site grading plan. A sealed drawing or plan and accompanying text prepared by a designer which shows alterations of topography, alterations of watercourses, flow directions of stormwater runoff, and proposed stormwater management and measures, having as its purpose to ensure that the objectives of this chapter are met.
Erosion and sediment control plan. A plan that is designed to minimize the accelerated erosion and sedimentation runoff at a site during construction.
Fee in lieu contribution. A payment of money in place of meeting all or part of the stormwater performance standards required by this chapter.
Grading. Any stripping, excavating, filling, or stockpiling of soil or any combination thereof and the land in its excavated or filled condition.
Impervious surface. Surface that does not allow stormwater runoff to slowly percolate into the soil.
Infiltration. The percolation of water into the ground, expressed in inches per hour.
Land disturbing activity. Any activity that changes the volume or peak flow discharge of rainfall runoff from the land surface. This may include the grading, digging, cutting, scraping, or excavating of soil, placement of fill materials, paving, construction, substantial removal of vegetation, or any activity that bares soil or rock or involves the diversion or piping of any natural or man-made watercourse.
Maintenance agreement (covenant). A binding agreement that establishes the terms, measures, and conditions for the maintenance of stormwater systems and facilities.
MDEQ. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
National pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) stormwater discharge permit. The permit issued to the city by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment for point source discharges of stormwater from municipal separate storm sewer systems.
Nonpoint source pollution. Any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition of "point source" in section 502(14) of the Clean Water Act.
Non-structural measure. A stormwater control and treatment technique that uses natural processes, restoration or enhancement of natural systems, or design approaches to control runoff and/or reduce pollutant levels. Such measures are used in lieu of or to supplement structural practices on a land development site.
Offsite facility. All or part of a drainage system that is located partially or completely off the development site which it serves.
Peak rate of discharge. The maximum rate of stormwater flow at a particular location following a storm event, as measured at a given point and time in cubic feet per second (CFS).
Permanent stormwater BMP. A stormwater best management practice (BMP) that will be operational after the construction phase of a project and that is designed to become a permanent part of the site for the purposes of managing stormwater runoff.
Plan. Written narratives, specifications, drawings, sketches, written standards, operating procedures, or any combination of these which contain information pursuant to this chapter.
Post construction stormwater management concept plan (stormwater plan). Drawings and written information prepared by a designer which describe the way in which accelerated soil erosion and/or stormwater flows from a particular site are proposed to be controlled, both during and after construction, having as its purpose to ensure that the objectives of this chapter are met.
Post construction stormwater management guidance manual. A detailed explanation of the policies, procedures and design criteria for complying with this chapter.
Receiving stream or channel. The body of water or conveyance into which stormwater runoff is discharged.
Recharge. The replenishment of underground water reserves through percolation.
Redevelopment. A change to a previously existing, improved property, including but not limited to the demolition or building of structures, filling, grading, paving, or excavating, but excluding ordinary maintenance activities, remodeling of buildings on the existing footprint, resurfacing of paved areas, and exterior changes or improvements that do not materially increase or concentrate stormwater runoff or cause additional nonpoint source pollution.
Responsible party. Any individual, partnership, co-partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock, company, trust, estate, governmental entity, or any other legal entity; or their representatives, agents, or assigns that is named on a storm water maintenance agreement as responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of one or more stormwater BMPs.
Retention. A holding system for stormwater, either natural or man-made, which does not have a direct outlet to adjoining watercourses or wetlands.
Runoff. That part of precipitation, which flows over the land.
Sediment. Mineral or organic particulate matter that has been removed from its site of origin by the processes of soil erosion, is in suspension in water, or is being transported.
Stormwater BMP. Any facility, structure, channel, area, process or measure which serves to control stormwater runoff in accordance with the purposes and standards of this chapter.
Stream buffer. An area of land at or near a stream bank, wetland, or water body that has intrinsic water quality value due to the ecological and biological processes it performs or is otherwise sensitive to changes which may otherwise result in significant degradation to water quality.
Watercourse. Any natural or manmade waterway or other body of water having reasonably well defined banks. Rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, and channels, whether continually or intermittently flowing, as well as lakes and ponds are watercourses for purposes of stormwater management.
Watershed. An area of land draining to a common outlet otherwise known as a drainage or catchment area.
Wetlands. As defined by Michigan's wetland statute, Part 303, Wetlands Protection, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended.
(Ord. No. 203, 10-17-2016)