On May 15 Council agenda there is a report recommending how to regulate the amount of permeable surfaces in property lots within the 3 villages. Having the “right” amount is important in terms of dealing with rainwater which recharges the acquifers and to avoid flooding. And permeable surfaces where grass, trees and gardens grow contributes to streetscape and can provide value in terms of providing shade, sequestering carbon. The proposal makes sense to me as the assessment of hard surface to soft surface proportions will be done and and approved/refused by Public Works using engineering drawings etc. as opposed to Public Works providing an assessment but the decision is made by Planning and possibly Committee of Adjustment. I am pleased with clear definitions being identified. e.g. hardscaping includes permeable pavers and artificial turf. I would prefer that there were minimum requirements for “living landscaping;” but I think the proposed plans to be proactive in advocacy and education is an improvement; its a good beginning.
If you wish to make a deputation and/or provide your comments in an email you need to register (or send that email) by noon May 15 to clerks@king.ca. To clarify, to make a deputation you need to register whether you will do in person at the Municipal Centre or by phone. I am also interested to hear comments directly by making a comment on my blog or contacting me directly.
A patch of grass does not meet the bar of being a permeable surface. I too agree it is vital to have living landscaping in order to mitigate flooding, replenish our acquifers, clean the air and provide shade as the planet gets hotter.