Greening the suburbs

www.baltimoresun.com - By David Berry

The consensus among experts is that the biggest polluter of the Chesapeake Bayis the nitrogen, phosphorus and contaminated sediments that move fromthe land into the bay's tributaries and ultimately the bay itself.Runoff from agricultural lands remains the largest source. However,estimates suggest that 16 percent to 19 percent comes from stormwaterrunoff from manmade surfaces, and while agriculture's share isdecreasing, the pollution contributed by urban and suburban stormwateris increasing. This is bound to continue as more open space becomesdeveloped.

Large, multi-unit condominiums, with their vastparking lots, expansive roofs and landscaped areas right up to thewater's edge, are among the most significant contributors. But onecomplex in the Baltimore suburbs has taken steps to reduce its runoff -and made it pay financially.

Canvasback Cove I opened in thelate 1980s 200 yards north of where the Susquehanna River empties intothe Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace. Zoning ordinances forced thedevelopers to use stone and gravel instead of concrete and asphalt forthe parking lots and the garage floors, but no regulations dictatedlandscaping. As a consequence, large sidewalks built of hard pavingstones extended from each entrance. They were lined with shrubberyunsuited to the environment. The areas between buildings were stockedwith non-native plants and trees that required frequent watering andfertilization. Lawn grasses were planted on an exposed hillside betweenthe pool and the dock. Tropical Storm Isabel did further damage when itsent eight feet of water over most of the landscaping.

Thehomeowners association decided to attack the problem this year. Itsmembers worked with their management company and a landscape contractoron a plan that would replace all the landscaping with native plants.The paving stone walkways were removed, along with the bushes thatlined them, and replaced with gravel and small five foot square pads atthe base of each step. The areas between buildings were rebuilt tocollect and absorb the rain from the large roofs, gutters and downspouts. Native grasses and trees were planted between the buildings andbelow the pool deck and act as natural water filters. All the plantschosen have large root systems that naturally search deep for their ownwater source and that provide the additional benefit of holding soil inplace, reducing erosion.

Joe Carobene, president of theCanvasback Cove I Condo Association, said, "The effort has a financialpayoff. We can increase the value of the individual properties by goingrsconsul_green." Fred Traut, property manager for Canvasback Cove I, estimatesthat the development has cut maintenance costs, including water,fertilizing, weeding, trimming and snow removal, by 40 percent to 50percent. The other bonus to the condo owners is that some of the costswere paid for by a grant from the Living Shorelines initiative, whichis available in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Havrede Grace designated Canvasback Cove I a Chesapeake Bay FriendlyCommunity, and the development can promote its environmentally soundlandscaping when units come up for sale. But few other communities willvoluntarily take the same steps, preferring the traditional, suburbanlandscaping they are familiar with despite the problems it creates.

Arecent report from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network gave Maryland'sstormwater management efforts a grade of D-plus. Only Pennsylvania,with a D, fares worse than Maryland. Virginia merits a C-plus, WestVirginia a C, and the highly urban District of Columbia a surprisingB-plus.

Montgomery County is the only area in Maryland wherethe state has mandated a retrofit of the stormwater systems. Moremunicipalities should be required to update their zoning ordinancesconcerning stormwater management, and it should be compulsory thatcondo and homeowner associations take the steps Canvasback Cove I didas their landscaping needs replacing.

The revisions should setsite standards for landscaping and reducing impervious surfaces. Gravelwalkways should be required, instead of concrete or paving stones,along with strict lists of acceptable plants - but new rules requireeducation as well as enforcement.

More states need to makegrants available to ease the burden on communities. Canvasback Cove Ihas shown that the effort can create a financial, as well as anenvironmental, reward.

David Berry lives and writes from Havrede Grace, where he also teaches sailing and captains a charter boat. Hehas written two books, "Maryland Skipjacks" and "Maryland's LowerSusquehanna River Valley; Where the River Meets the Bay." This articleis distributed by Bay Journal News Service.

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