Community Input Shapes LID Ordinance: What Folks Are Saying & How We’re Listening

So far the City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program has held five public meetings on the Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance from October-December of this year.

The reason for these meetings is simple: your input is important to us! Without it, we have no way to gauge the support we ultimately need to move forward with this important ordinance.

Many of our stakeholders have chimed in. Folks from neighborhood councils, environmental groups, businesses and local community members have all participated.

Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve heard at the community meetings:

“It would be a good idea if the City and County’s LID ordinances are close/almost identical.”

“The City of LA needs to be careful about imposing costs on residents. Some communities may not have the resources to implement LID.”

“It would be a good idea to show people how easy it is to install some of these BMPs (Best Management Practices). People have no concept of what this is all about. “

“We should be focusing on educating people about how LID BMPs increase property values.”

Again, we thank you for all your input and we hope you will continue to stay engaged with us as we move forward in this process. The proposed LID ordinance was indeed shaped by your input. Overall the sentiment at the meetings was one of support with the details of the ordinance being the main concern. We hope all questions were addressed to the best of our ability.

LID directly affects the community, therefore the community (meaning you!) needs to affect the adoption and implementation of the LID Ordinance. The Board of Public Works is meeting on Friday, January 15, 2010 and the decision to move the LID ordinance forward will be discussed and voted on at that time. We encourage you attend this meeting!

*Photo courtesy of the Surfrider Foundation

Please take a look at our other LID-related blog posts:

- Board of Public Works Weighs in on LID Ordinance

- Input Needed - Attend the Low Impact Development ordinance community meeting (12/01)

- What exactly is Low Impact Development?

- How will the Low Impact Development ordinance affect LA’s water quality?

- Why is LA’s Bureau of Sanitation department proposing a Low Impact Development ordinance?

- What folks are saying about the Low Impact Development Ordinance – reactions from community groups, businesses and residents

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO CELEBRATE A COMPLETED WATER QUALITY PROJECT

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl of District 11, El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell, Public Works Commissioner Paula Daniels and other dignitaries celebrated today the completion of the Imperial Highway Sunken Median Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) project. A gathering was held on Imperial Highway between Pershing Drive and Main Street, and was concluded with theplanting of a tree named "Fred" by Tree Musketeers youth manager Julian Poyourow.

The project was conceptualized by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation as one of the 32 stormwater improvements funded by the voter-approved Proposition O Clean Water Bond. The project installed a biofiltration system comprised of vegetated swales and an infiltration trench that will collect runoff from a 7.5-acre area and remove bacteria, oil, trash and suspended solids from stormwater that would otherwise be discharged to Santa Monica Bay. Shrubs and trees were also planted in the project area, and an automated irrigation system that uses recycled water was installed.

For more information about this project, visit www.eng.lacity.org/iuprs or call the Department of Public Works, Public Affairs Office at (213) 978-0333. To learn about the Tree Musketeers, see http://www.treemusketeers.org/.