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EPA grant to fund Gates Mills rain garden
(by Sali McSherry - January 20, 2011)
EPA grant to fund Gates Mills rain garden
By SALI McSHERRY
Gates Mills plans to install a bio-retention basin and rain garden in the spring. The village is using an $87,525 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's division of surface water.
If it's done right, Mayor Connie White said, there won't be any appreciable cost. The grant pays for 100 percent of the engineering and construction.
Service Director David Biggert and village Engineer Christopher Courtney said the projects not only would be beneficial in the village's and Cuyahoga County's storm-water-treatment programs but would be a great educational opportunity.
The village will host a program to instruct residents in the proper methodology for design, construction and maintenance of a rain garden, Mr. Courtney said.
Education and outreach activities that will be scheduled for later this spring and summer include installing a rain garden display at Village Hall and the Gates Mills Public Library, conducting a workshop on how to install a rain garden and drainage issues, write an article for the village newsletter and present the project at a Chagrin River Watershed Partners meeting.
The rain garden tentatively will be installed next to the U.S. Post Office downtown Gates Mills.
Installation of similar rain gardens and bio-retention areas throughout Gates Mills would help protect the river and treat and infiltrate additional storm water prior to discharge into the river, Mr. Biggert said.
Councilwoman had Karen Schneider said that it sets a good example for residents.
The 3,500-square-foot bio-retention basin will be located in the service- yard area adjacent to Village Hall and will capture surface runoff from 100,000 square feet of the service yard and parking lot, Mr. Biggert said. When there's a large flow of water during a storm, the basin will serve as a holding cell and unwanted materials, like oil and fertilizers would settle out before the water flowed into the river.
Mr. Biggert said the village service department will maintain the projects. The property currently is maintained, so instead of mowing grass in the area, as an example, the department could be mulching, he said.
The project will have a direct impact on the water quality of storm water, Mr. Courtney said. The runoff from the downspouts and service yard flow directly to the main branch of the Chagrin River downstream from the bridge.
Given the extremely sandy soils at the river, no under-drain is proposed, Mr. Biggert had said, which will allow it to operate much like a sand filter. The location will provide a great opportunity for education and training related to installation and maintenance of a bio-retention facility.
In Cuyahoga County's next storm-water-program permit cycle, the village could be ordered to follow new regulations. But, by moving forward this spring, Mr. Courtney said, the village will be treating storm water.
Mrs. Schneider said it's a case of being proactive instead of reactive.
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