The City of Chattanooga has several programs/incentives.
https://chattanooga.gov/public-works/water-quality-programRainSmart is an incentive program for residential property owners that reimburses qualified Chattanooga residents for installing rain gardens & rain barrels that reduce the amount of stormwater that leaves their property. That means less water in our storm sewer systems, & less in our creeks & streams.
The City's Water Quality Program (WQP) has created the Green Grants Program for property owners who seek to improve water quality and/or go beyond their Stay-on-Volume (SOV) requirement for a green infrastructure (GI) development or retrofit project. The grant will provide businesses, institutions and other non-single family residential customers partial funding for the design and construction of green infrastructure projects on private properties.
City of Chattanooga has a stormwater fee included on the property tax bill. There is credit/discount program for this fee.
TCA 68-221-1107 provides an exemption for users that do not discharge - directly or indirectly - into a municipally owned stormwater system. If a property is in the upstream drainage area of any City owned/maintained stormwater infrastructure (culvert, pipe, ditch, etc.), then that property is not eligible for an exemption.
The City is partnering with United Way to provide assistance for seniors participating in the City's property tax freeze program.
Chattanooga City Code provides a discount for multi-family and non-residential users who can demonstrate a reduction in stormwater runoff through engineered controls that infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or capture and reuse stormwater to prevent it from leaving the site as surface runoff. The City refers to this as Stay-On-Volume (SOV) - also called Water Quality treatment volume. Upon submitting an application with supporting documents, users may qualify to receive up to a 70% reduction in their fee. Please see the City's Credit & Incentive Manual on the City's website for more information. https://chattanooga.gov/public-works/water-quality-program/wq-fees-incentives
During the development process:
1) There are credits offered for trees, soil amendments and restorative practices to reduce the required amount of SOV to be provided with the development.
2) If a development provides more SOV than required, they are able to request credit coupons that would be given for the confirmed overage in the form of a coupon/certificate for the additional the volume. These may be traded on the open market & used as mitigation for projects that may not be able to provide the required SOV. While this program has been slow to catch on, it has been more utilized lately & is picking up interest.
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Maria Price P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Manager
City of Chattanooga
Chattanooga TN
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-05-2020 04:47 PM
From: Kaylyn Hudson
Subject: LID/GI Incentives
Hello all,
I am curious if you could list communities that you have worked with that have incentives in place (not required) to promote permanent water quality measures, especially green infrastructure/low impact development. I'm looking to use these communities as case studies for a project I am working on.
Examples of these would be an expedited development processes, fee reductions, increase in impervious cover % allowable, reduced site setbacks, etc.
Thanks in advance for your expertise.
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Kaylyn Hudson EIT, A.M.ASCE
Engineer II
Austin TX
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