Whereas residential development in portions of unincorporated areas designated as suitable for increased dwelling density through regional growth strategies and official community plans will enhance the supply of housing in British Columbia; And whereas a key constraint in increasing dwelling density in these areas is locating adequately sized green infrastructure such as rain gardens and infiltration swales that protect stream systems and overall watershed health, and reduce risk to downstream property: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of BC investigate options to permit green infrastructure and low impact development rainwater management measures for private property and public roads within provincial public highway rights of way in alignment with policy direction set out in the March 2023 Intentions Paper for the Watershed Security Strategy.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry of Transportation and Transit MOTT recognizes the benefits of using green infrastructure for stormwater management and has used this methodology on several provincial highway infrastructure projects to manage stormwater in a more controlled fashion over traditional stormwater infrastructure. Regarding the placement of stormwater management infrastructure on ministry rights of way to manage drainage from private property and infrastructure, it would be difficult to establish a blanket policy to allow such infrastructure as there are numerous variables to consider in designing, constructing and maintaining such infrastructure. Items such as the volume of water the infrastructure must capture and retain over the life of the infrastructure, the amount it may release onto or through the ministrys infrastructure under certain weather events, the ongoing maintenance of the green infrastructure replanting, cleaning of swales, repairs after major events etc. are just some of the items that would have to be considered. There may be specific scenarios where green stormwater infrastructure could be placed on ministry right of way to manage private stormwater drainage, and the ministry encourages the Comox-Valley Regional District to discuss those scenarios with MOTTs Vancouver Island District Development Services staff.