HomeMy WebLinkAboutResidential_Pervious_Pavement_Proposal
Residential Application of Permeable
Pavement Within the City of Oshkosh
Steve Freund
Burgundy Pendragon
Olivia Hauser
Austin Hanson
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Executive Summary 2
Background 2
Recommendation 13
Stakeholders 5
Benchmarking 9
Costs 13
Barriers 14
Significance for Sustainability 16
Summary 21
Works Cited 22
Appendix A - Costs of Different Types and Installation of Permeable Pavement 25
Appendix B - Example of Municipal Code From Minneapolis, MN 27
Appendix C - Driveway Installation Policy, Menasha, WI 30
Appendix D - Example application of Permeable Pavement 32
Appendix E - DNR Technical Bulletin on Permeable Pavement Implementation 34
Appendix F - Example of Educational Material from Laurel, MD 35
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Executive Summary
Stormwater management has become an issue of increasing concern for
municipalities across the United States, including the City of Oshkosh. Many technologies
have been developed specifically to address these concerns. One such technology is
permeable pavement. Permeable pavement systems have many different bene fits.
However, the main benefits stem from their ability to filter stormwater runoff. This
ultimately leads to the reduction of things such as heavy metals, mineral oils,
hydrocarbons, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus ending up in our waterways. The
reduction of algal bloom-causing phosphorus and nitrogen, and the reduction in heavy
metals entering waterways are of particular interest due to the problems that the
Winnebago watershed has had with these issues in the past.
Although the City of Oshkosh has allowed the use of permeable pavement in
several commercial applications around town, current Oshkosh municipal code does not
allow the use of permeable pavement for residential driveways. We are proposing a
change to the City of Oshkosh’s municipal codes that would explicitly allow residents to
use permeable pavement systems on their driveways. By implementing code that allows
for the residential use of permeable pavement systems, Oshkosh is giving its citizens the
freedom to choose to be able to help reduce stormwater runoff and water pollution. This
action directly aligns with the city’s sustainability goals. It also continues the city’s push
toward addressing stormwater issues in a similar manner as other best management
practices already implemented such as the permeable pavement parking lots around the
city and the city’s rain barrel credit program.
Background
The City of Oshkosh lies in the heart of the Winnebago watershed on the shore of
Lake Winnebago itself. These surrounding waterways provide both municipal services
such as drinking water, as well as recreational opportunities for citizens of the surrounding
communities. However, DNR monitoring shows that Lake Winnebago is eutrophic,
meaning that the lake is “characterized by large nutrient concentrations such as nitrogen
and phosphorus and resulting in high productivity” (Wisconsin DNR, 2004). One of the
more significant sources of these nutrients is stormwater runoff from rain water washing
over the large amounts of pavement found in urban areas such as Oshkosh. The United
States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service lists urban
stormwater runoff as one of the most significant non-agricultural resource concerns for
the Winnebago watershed (USDA NRCS, 2007). Because of its reliance on the
surrounding waterways for both health and recreation, the City of Oshkosh has a vested
interest in mitigating stormwater runoff as much as possible.
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With an increase in awareness of environmental issues such as the ones impacting
the waterways surrounding Oshkosh, the category of building technologies known as
“Green Infrastructure” is gaining popularity. The Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act, an
amendment to Section 402 of the US Clean Water Act, defines green infrastructure as
“the range of measures that use plant or soil systems, permeable pavement or other
permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse, or landscaping to store,
infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to sewer systems or to su rface
waters” (S. 692, 2017). One example of such a technology is known as “permeable
pavement”. In general, permeable pavement is any pavement system that allows water
to soak through the pavement and into the ground underneath. As this happens,
impurities are filtered out and prevented from flowing into nearby waterways. (For more
information regarding water quality issues and how permeable pavement systems can
help, see the Significance for Sustainability section).
The City of Oshkosh is already somewha t familiar with permeable pavement
systems. Notably, Oshkosh currently has parking lots that use permeable pavement at
Fire Station 16, the Senior Center, the public parking lots at CP and Otter, and the YMCA
downtown. However, residents are not currently allowed to use permeable pavement
systems for their own driveways. Through our stakeholder interviews, we know that at
least some residents are quite interested in using permeable pavement at their homes.
While stakeholders did raise some concerns regarding the residential implementation of
permeable pavement systems (see the Barriers and Stakeholders sections for more
details), none of the problems or concerns that we encountered throughout our research
make the use of permeable pavement within the city of Oshkosh unreasonable.
Furthermore, many other cities have allowed for the residential use of permeable
pavement with great success (for detailed examples, see the Benchmarking section
along with Appendices B and C).
Currently, Oshkosh’s municipal codes allow for the use of permeable pavement on
patios [see Chapter 30, Article VIII, Section 30-241(C)(4)(a) and Chapter 30, Article VI,
Section 30-161(E)(4)(f)], and in Chapter 30, Article VI, Section 30-241(J)(1), the use of
permeable pavement is explicitly allowed in the Traditional Neighborhood Development
Overlay Zoning District.
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Recommendation
Our recommendation is that the City of Oshkosh allow for the residential use of
permeable pavement by amending Oshkosh’s municipal code so that permeable
pavement is explicitly permitted for use in residential driveways. Because multiple
sections of Oshkosh’s municipal code address driveways and relevant aspects of
construction, adoption of the proposed changes may require multiple sections of
municipal code to be altered. However, the proposed code presented below seems like it
would fit well in Chapter 30, Article VII, Section 30 -175(R) which addresses surfacing.
Proposed code
Section 30-175 (R) (1) (a): Permeable pavement that is capable of carrying a wheel load
of four thousand (4,000) pounds is permitted. Gravel, turf, or other materials that are not
part of a structured system designed to manage stormwater shall not be considered
permeable pavement. Permeable pavement shall meet the following conditions:
(1) All materials shall be installed per industry standards and follow the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources Technical Standards for Permeable Pavement.
Appropriate soils and site conditions shall exist for the pervious pavement or
pervious pavement system to function properly. If clay soils excessively prohibit
the timely infiltration of water into the soil, underdrains and storage reservoirs may
be required.
(2) All materials shall be maintained per industry and city standards. Areas damaged
by snow plows or other vehicles shall be promptly repaired. Gravel that has
migrated from the pervious pavement systems onto adjacent areas shall be swept
and removed regularly.
(3) Permeable pavement that allows turf grass to penetrate to the surface shall be
limited to overflow parking spaces that are not utilized for required parking and
that are not occupied on a daily or regular basis.
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While public education regarding permeable pavement systems may be beneficia l,
such an endeavor is not necessary to implement these changes into the code. However,
we have also provided an example of some educational material designed to inform the
public about permeable pavement that could be used to help model any educational
materials that Oshkosh may decide to put together in the future. (See Appendix F for
educational material.)
Stakeholders
James Rabe - Director of Public Works, City of Oshkosh
The overall goal of the Department of Public Works is to ensure that infrastructure
throughout the city of Oshkosh is dependable. As the Director of Public Works, James is
in charge of multiple departments working toward this goal, including the Stormwater
Utility. His position gives him a direct interest in whether or not the residential use of
permeable pavement might be a beneficial addition to Oshkosh’s municipal code. James
also has previous experience with permeable pavement. Because of this, James is
considered a key primary stakeholder and expert.
One of the first things that James stressed was the importance of education with
new technologies such as permeable pavement. He used the example of how the
Stormwater Utility in Oshkosh recently allowed for a reduction on homeowners’
stormwater utility bills if they used rain barrels. However, few people have taken
advantage of these opportunities, most likely due to a lack of knowledge and education
surrounding the programs. He also discussed how when recycling programs first began,
education programs were needed in order to inform the public about what can and cannot
be recycled. These examples highlight the potential need for an education program or
campaign to accompany the implementation of the new technology of permeable
pavement. However, although education is surely important, it will not be a main focus of
this proposal.
Todd Meuhrer - Zoning Administrator, City of Oshkosh
As a zoning administrator, Todd has some important insights into the potential
issues surrounding the residential implementation of permeable pavement and is
considered a secondary stakeholder. Throughout the interview, Todd made it clear that
the specific details of any proposed change to the municipal code will be of utmost
importance. Todd emphasized that the code should be explicit and thoroug h in order to
ensure that as few problems arise as possible once the code is actually implemented. He
strongly believes that in developing any new code, worst case scenarios should be taken
into consideration as much as possible.
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Doug Bush - President, Pave Drain
A stakeholder that our group was interested in contacting was Pave Drain due to
the multiple projects implemented in Oshkosh already. Here we were able to get in contact
with Doug Bush, the president of Pave Drain. Getting a hold of Mr. Bush abou t the
company's opinions on permeable pavers gave our group the chance to discuss barriers.
Mr. Bush had multiple years of experience in construction projects where some projects
pertained to the implementation of permeable pavers which was able to help gi ve us
important insight on the concerns in the paving industry about permeable pavers. One of
the critical topics Doug Bush addressed is its stress on sustainability as sustainability is
key to the development and success of permeable pavers. If no one is interested in being
sustainable on their land, installing their complex and expensive pavers is a massive
waste of resources and money.
In Oshkosh, a concern with permeable pavers is the installation and maintenance
involved. In our discussion we asked Mr. Bush about the maintenance of permeable
pavement and the results that he has seen. Mr. Bush emphasized the importance of
building permeable pavement due to the complexity compared to typical pavement. In the
projects in Oshkosh that Pave Drain has had a hand in, he has found no problems with
the draining and very little maintenance has had to be done. Mr. Bush also addressed
other concerns about the impacts of road salt, cost, and the difficulty of implementing due
to lack of guidance (more information on this topic can be found in the Barriers section.)
Anonymous Company
Another stakeholder that our group was interested in contacting was someone
from Fox Valley Region due to its similar demographics to Oshkosh. For the project, the
company requested to remain anonymous. We were able to get in contact with the owner
of a company who plays a vital role in advocating green infrastructure and promoting the
use of permeable pavers and their benefits. The company does multiple different types
of jobs surrounding landscaping. They have also completed projects that included
permeable pavers on lakeshore houses.
Due to the distance between the Fox Valley and Oshkosh, getting in contact with
the company seemed like a good idea because of the similar communities, pop ulations,
ethnic groups, and climate. Due to the group’s primary research being on permeable
pavement for residential areas, we wanted to focus mainly on that idea in our discussion.
During the conversation with the anonymous owner, the main questions that came up
were about installation, promoting permeable pavers, and the owner’s personal thoughts.
The company's owner showed great eagerness to share his thoughts on permeable
pavers in general due to the many benefits which are listed under Significance for
Sustainability.
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Dr. Misty McPhee - Private Citizen, City of Oshkosh
Dr. Misty McPhee is a citizen of Oshkosh, who wished to have her driveway be
made up of permeable pavements. She wants to have a net positive house, meaning she
wants to create more energy than she uses.This makes her a primary stakeholder for this
permeable pavement project because she is directly impacted by a decision to disallow
permeable pavements. A permeable pavement driveway will help her reduce the amount
of concrete to build her house. Her interest level in this topic is high, but because of city
codes, she wasn’t allowed to have a permeable driveway. She had numerous email
exchanges with various people from the city, and the conclusion was, there were
concerns regarding the engineering of the driveway, along with some uncertainty about
what exactly is going to be used. With multiple people from the city being involved in this
one project, information maybe wasn’t relayed resulting into many concerns to allow the
project to continue.She had someone from TrueGrid (a contractor company that installs
permeable pavement), email her designs of driveways and how this type of permeable
pavement works better in all climates and soils. There are many benefits of including
Misty’s perspective in planning. She knows how the hydrologic cycle works, the value of
permeable pavement, and has a decent understanding of city codes. By providing Misty’s
perspective on permeable pavement, it shows that people want other options for
residential driveways, especially ones that help the environment, not hurt it. It’s a matter
of finding a product that works, and can be maintained properly to ensure maximum
efficiency. While addressing any concerns from the city, because they have the ultimate
say.
Justin Gierach - Engineering Division Manager, City of Oshkosh
Justin Gierach works for the city in a few different areas. He is the Engineering
Division Manager, an Engineer, and is involved in the city's Public Works Department. He
has experience in dealing with contractors, private citizens, and other city officials on
many different issues. In talking with Justin he expressed that Oshkosh does have a few
places around the city that allow for permeable pavements; they include the senior center,
a fire station, and Menominee Arena. These places can use permeable pavements
because redevelopment of larger areas must account for TSS (Total Suspended Solids).
His interest in the topic lies in trying to improve Oshkosh’s stormwater quality, and
properly manage stormwater runoff. Permeable pavements are a good alternative, but
the city has concerns about the residential application concerning drainage and runoff,
and it’s important to note moving forward, so we can find a model that addresses these
concerns. Overall, talking with Justin will help our group better understand the current
situation in Oshkosh regarding permeable pavement. Even though there are concerns
about permeable pavement driveways, now we know what they are. Justin seemed to
have a positive view of permeable pavements and said if someone can show how the
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water will be drained, then he doesn’t see the city having an issue with allowing it. Another
benefit of including his perspective is that there are permeable pavements applications
around the city that work that the city maintains. They are vacuumed a few times a year
to remove debris from the cracks, this shows that Oshkosh trusts permeable pavements,
just not in the residential application. Drainage and clogging are real concerns that must
be addressed, but there are options available that decrease the chances of that
happening. The better educated we are as citizens, the better chance we have to
implement things that we want. As a city official he has to abide by city regulations on
projects, so currently permeable pavements aren’t allowed for driveways, but with a
change in the city ordinance they can be incorporated for residential applications in the
future.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance (FWWA) Kelly Reyer
Kelly Reyer graduated from UW Oshkosh with a degree in Environmental Studies
in 2012. She works for the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance as the Outreach Coordinator.
The organization works to protect, restore, and sustain the water resources of
Wisconsin’s Fox-Wolf River Basin. Her role as Outreach Coordinator has her performing
many duties, including event planning, working with the media, developing educational
documents, designing documents and educational signs, creating lesson plans, and
providing outreach and education in schools and at communi ty events. She coordinates
Fox-Wolf’s largest event, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup.
In our interview with Reyer, we asked her about water conservation issues facing
the Fox-Wolf watershed. She explained by saying that nonpoint stormwater runoff is the
biggest issue impacting the quality of our waterways. While it’s debatable which pollutants
are worse in our water, phosphorus and sediment are the biggest runoff concerns given
that there are Total Maximum Daily Load standards set for these pollut ants in the Fox-
Wolf River Basin. She went on to talk about how the FWWA has been working with
agricultural producers for years with grant funding to install conservation practices, like
treatment wetlands, cover crops, buffer strips, etc., on their lands. In a similar vein, she
talked about how urban municipalities are concerned about the types of pollutants running
off in our cities because they have MS4 permit requirements that they must meet. Her
outreach and educational efforts are ways that FWWA aids in these conservation efforts.
We then asked her about ways that locals can reduce polluted stormwater runoff, she
provided many examples, including the reduction of impermeable surfaces, picking up
after pets, sweeping up grass clippings, keeping leaves off our streets, washing vehicles
on a grassy area or at a carwash, and much more.
Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC)- Anna Bartsch
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NEWSC is a membership-based organization branched out of FWWA that is
meant specifically for municipalities, counties, and institutions (such as the University of
Wisconsin Oshkosh) who have Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits
from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The organization helps
members maintain the legal requirements of the MS4 permits by providing expert
resources and guidance to its members, effectively doing the hard work of understanding
the legal nuances, the data, and providing design plans. Anna Bartsch’s job as the
NEWSC Coordinator is to manage the program by planning, budgeting for, and
implementing the activities described above.
When we asked Bartsch for what she believed to be the most prevalent issues
facing our waterways, she answered with erosion control, getting creative with green
infrastructure (including permeable pavements), reducing chloride (salt) pollution,
preventing the spread of invasive species, and encouraging and incentivizing sustainable
farming practices. We then asked her what she thought was the best practices for
reducing stormwater pollution. Bartsch had this to say, “first and foremost, education and
altering public perception is what everything comes back to. Most people don't consider
that runoff doesn't get treated the way water inside houses and businesses do. The water
running down your street and into the storm drain ends up in a water body along with
everything it picks up on the way, and there are things everyone can do to improve the
quality of that water. It's important for people to see the connection between their inability
to enjoy lakes and rivers due toxic algae blooms and what is coming off of their very own
yards (raked leaves and grass clippings left in the street, pet waste left to deteriorate and
enter groundwater).”
Benchmarking
Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington is a city that is similar in size to Oshkosh. They have been
using permeable pavement in multiple different projects for over 15 years (Tosomeen,
2007). They started off using permeable pavement on sidewalks in order to assess the
utility and public reaction to permeable pavement in general. After constructing permeable
pavement sidewalks, Olympia city officials took a survey to understand the public’s
perception of those sidewalks. The vast majority of those surveyed enjoyed the looks of
the sidewalks, perceived them to be less slippery than traditional sidewalks, wanted to
see builders encouraged to use more permeable pavement, and would have liked to be
able to use permeable pavement for their homes. This experience has led the city to refine
its municipal codes to where they currently allow the residential use of permeable
pavement for driveways (Tosomeen, 2007).
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Although Minneapolis is a much larger city than Oshkosh, the climate is very
similar. This provides a great test case for any issues that harsh winter weather may
present with the use of permeable pavement. Originally, Minneapolis began investigating
permeable pavement as a means to address multiple wat er quality issues. Since then,
Minneapolis has become a leader in the implementation of permeable pavement. They
have used permeable pavement at their university, at city buildings, on city roads, in
parking lots, and many other places. Because of this intense interest in permeable
pavement, the surrounding communities are also embracing permeable pavement.
Shoreview, a community north east of Minneapolis, has the longest stretch of permeable
pavement in North America (Janzer, 2020).
One thing that Minneapolis has done to help address the education concerns that
some of our stakeholders have mentioned is they have plenty of resources available to
those who are interested in using permeable pavement. Also, their municipal code is well -
written, covering all important aspects of the implementation of permeable pavement
while not being overly difficult to understand. See Appendix B for a copy of the
Minneapolis municipal code concerning permeable pavement.
Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha is a community that is very similar to that of Oshkosh in demographics.
Both Menasha and Oshkosh also face similar water quality and water runoff related
issues due to the closeness of many waterways and have tried multiple solutions to fix
the problem. Lakeshore residential homes in Menasha have led the way for residential
installations of permeable pavement. Menasha’s recent work is a great example of a small
city embracing sustainable development, including implementing permeable pavement.
In Menasha, their current ordinances highly encourage permeable pavement usage for
stormwater best management practices through a Driveway Installation Policy which can
be found in Appendix C.
One example of a permeable pavement project in Menasha is a residential
lakeshore home completed in 2015. The project was a 1,150-square-foot driveway
installed at a residence on Firelane Road. The driveway took approximately one week
and the cost came out to approximately $16,000 (County Materials, 2016). Hanging over
the project was a requirement by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
through Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Technical Standards. See
Appendix E for a copy of the Technical Standards dealing with permeable pavement. In
the Standards it states that no runoff could exit the property, either onto adjacent lots or
directly into Lake Winnebago. The agency’s involvement was fairly minimal as the county
really oversaw the enforcement of the regulation so there was no water issue. This project
was important to the development of a policy for permeable pavement to be available to
be used by the residents.
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Keshena, Wisconsin
Another Wisconsin community that has a similar climate to Oshkosh is Keshena
located in Menominee County. Just like Menasha, Keshena is a great example of
implementing permeable pavement in residential areas to overcome stormwater
management issues. In Keshena, residential homeowners contacted Menominee County
for a new development project. The homeowners wanted a new driveway that was
environmentally friendly but also functional. Similar to locations near waterways like
Oshkosh, Keshena is located near Blacksmith Lake causing trouble for residents due to
runoff into the lake.
Menominee County's lakeshore zoning regulations specifically limit the amount of
impermeable surface that can be used on lakeshore lots (Menominee County, 2021).
Permeable pavement played an important role in this project, as the residents were
already at their limit for the amount of impervious asphalt and concrete allowed.
Menominee County officials wanted a larger low-impact improvement project to help
educate the public and demonstrate the success to potential permittees especially for
stormwater runoff. For this project, an important part of the system was the base below
the permeable pavers which acts as a temporary storage area. The main function is to
allow the runoff enough time to seep into the ground but also not collect above the surface
of the pavement. By using a base under the permeable pavement, the system was able
to reduce the peak stormwater runoff flow rate to the lake.
Isanti, Minnesota
In Isanti, Minnesota, a small town with a population a little more than 5,000 and
near the Wisconsin border, a couple named Shelly and Jason Dailey purchased lakeside
property with the intention of developing a new building in the footprint of an old structure.
Unfortunately, the Dailey’s were faced with the Isanti County Zoning regulations, which
only allow up to 25% impervious surfaces on lake property. This regulation is in place in
order to protect local waterways. The house by itself would fill the 25% impervious surface
quota, and the Dailey’s still needed a driveway and patio. Seeking a way to meet the
water conservation purposes of the Isanti County Zoning regulations, the Dailey’s
consulted Jim Wanserski for help, who is a seasoned landscaping contractor and the
developer of the Vistas at Greenwood Hills in Wausau, Wisconsin. Together with the
permeable pavement supplier County Materials, they came up with a win -win solution:
the implementation of a permeable pavement system. Isanti County needed evidence for
the effectiveness of permeable pavement. The team did just that when they prepared
themselves with extensive knowledge with the expertise of County Materials and
Wanserski. This preparation was vital to winning over Isanti County and obtaining their
permit. In addition, the plan achieved two goals: (1) infiltrating stormwater via the pavers,
and (2) providing a structurally sound, low-maintenance, reliable, and durable surface for
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the Dailey’s new driveway and patio. In fact, the system works very well to capture and
filter stormwater runoff. Since installation in 2010, the pavement has survived midwest
winters with minimal maintenance. This example is relevant because Oshkosh also has
engaged citizens who want permeable pavement driveways, and this demonstrates that
not only is there precedent for this, but permeable pavement systems also allow residents
to help meet the city’s stormwater management goals.
Village of Egg Harbor, Wisconsin
In 2008, the Village of Egg Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin underwent a
redevelopment project at its local Beach Park, located along the waters between Green
Bay and Lake Michigan. As a lakeside town, water conservation is a major concern for
them, especially since Beach Park was plagued by geese, seagulls, and their waste.
Facing water pollution of a different variety, the Village of Egg Harbor needed to drastically
reduce E. coli contamination in its sensitive waterway. Originally, the solution wa s to build
retention basins, but the improved water quality brought additional tourism which
presented a new problem: a need for more parking space. However, the Village of Egg
Harbor was constrained by the intersecting needs to reduce water pollution, an inability
to purchase more land, and the need to provide more parking. The solution was to use
permeable pavement. With the help of the businesses Edgewater Landscaping and
County Materials, as well as assistance from Door County, they implemented a
permeable pavement system utilizing concrete bricks that allows rainwater to percolate
around the bricks and infiltrate through the ground (Stormwater Management Best
Practices).
Rockville, Maryland
This example from Rockville, Maryland is good in the sense th at it has guidelines
laid out that citizens must follow if they wish to have a permeable pavement driveway. In
Appendix D there is an example of what is required for a permeable pavement driveway,
which can be useful for the City of Oshkosh so they can see what other cities have done
to allow this type of pavement. Applications in Rockville must have a reservoir of ten
inches, and this is ultimately where the infiltrated water is temporarily stored. There is also
an overflow pipe recommendation that will allow water to leave the system when there is
too much, returning it to the hydrologic cycle. Additionally, there are rules in place to
protect utilities such as sewer lines, tree roots, and septic systems. This example also
takes into consideration soil type and infiltration rates. Although it doesn’t rule out any soil
type, all permeable pavements are designed to withstand one to two and a half inches of
rain at a time. If there are concerns, the issue can be looked into further, but this is the
standard baseline.
Durham, New Hampshire
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New Hampshire is a place that experiences a similar climate as Wisconsin, in that
they experience around six months of below freezing temperatures. This case study
looked at the impacts of permeable pavements in an environme nt that experiences a
freeze-thaw cycle similar to Oshkosh. This study used porous asphalt, and found that it
performed well as a stormwater management system under harsh weather conditions.
Porous pavements thawed and refroze throughout the winter, becaus e with permeable
pavement, not as much water is on the surface so there’s less ice forming on the surface
as well. They also found that permeable pavements completely thawed nearly thirty days
earlier than the reference site. This implies that less winter maintenance for areas with
permeable pavements is needed. Lag time increased by 1,275 minutes for a two year
storm. These porous pavements also fared well in terms of water quality performance;
effluent pH was higher (7.1) compared to influent pH (6.1). Th is means the water is less
acidic which helps protect the aquatic species native to the area. Only one rain event from
the study indicated high levels of Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Zinc was detected 66%
of the time, while nitrate and chloride levels showed no statistical difference between the
test sites. This study was conducted between 2004 and 2008, and through this study the
researchers figured the average lifespan of permeable pavements is around fifteen years.
However, with proper maintenance, these systems can last much longer. Because of
freeze-thaw conditions, permeable pavements can deteriorate, but because permeable
pavements allow water to infiltrate through the soil, some of the freeze -thaw susceptibility
is reduced.
Costs
One important aspect of permeable pavements is the expenses associated with
their implementation. Exact costs for permeable pavements have many contributing
factors including the specific type of permeable pavement used, its maintenance,
installation, the climate, and soil type. For soil type, if the soil does not drain well, then
underdrains and storage reservoirs may be needed. This is typically the case in places
where the soil contains high amounts of clay. Because Oshkosh has a significant
amount of clay soil, this could raise the cost of permeable pavement systems. However,
this increased cost would not fall on the city, for it would simply be a factor that the
resident would need to take into consideration when deciding whether or not they want
to implement a permeable pavement for their driveway.
Due to the multiple different types of permeable pavement systems and varying
installation factors, the cost for installing permeable pavement fluctuates. However, the
benefits that permeable pavements contribute will return those costs to the community
and help with costs in other areas of concern including stormwater management plans.
In Appendix A we have provided a chart listing different installation costs of different
types of pavers for residential use. An important thi ng to keep in mind is that costs for
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residential driveways were hard to come across as the field is smaller than the field of
standard concrete or asphalt parking lot construction.
According to a study performed at the University of California-Davis, the average
cost of a square foot of permeable pavement ranges from one dollar to eleven dollars.
This difference is due to the drastically different materials and designs utilized in the ten
different permeable pavers (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek, 2013). The researchers also
found the individual average costs for each type of pavement: Porous asphalt was
around 1.11 dollars/square foot, pervious concrete came out to 6.66 dollars per square
foot, and concrete pavers cost the most at 11.10 dollars per square foo t (Terhell et al.
2015). These results were accrued over a 25 year period. In this study, porous asphalt
had a life expectancy of 17.5 years, pervious concrete had a life expectancy of 25 years,
and concrete pavers had a life expectancy of 25-30 years. To put things into a larger
perspective, the researchers at UC Davis also gathered data on the overall costs of
entire parking lots. After factoring in installation and maintenance costs, the total price
of a half-acre standard asphalt lot came out to $371,356.28. Compare this to the total
cost of a permeable parking lot, which was only $306,706.62 (Terhell et al. 2015).
There are some additional factors to consider as a consumer who is looking to
redo their driveway. The main costs associated with permeable p avements consist of
refreshing the base and vacuum sweeping or other maintenance to help restore
permeability. Standard pavements, on the other hand, have seal coating, crack sealing,
patching, stripping, and resurfacing. Each type of surface includes cost s that the other
will not have based on the features that need tending to over the years. All these factors
lead to permeable pavements being more expensive when looking at the initial costs of
purchase and the installation labor costs. The high initial cost associated with permeable
pavement can be seen as the price paid for the added function of filtering stormwater.
Even though there are higher installation costs at the beginning, the maintenance costs
over time are less expensive compared to traditional asphalt. After dissecting each
feature of the two surfaces and estimating maintenance intervals, Terhell et al. came to
the conclusion that “permeable pavement will be more cost-effective in the long run”
(2015).
For the city, the only potential direct costs that might need to be considered would
stem from any decision to implement an educational campaign. Otherwise, costs are
simply the time and effort needed to figure out the details of and write the code itself.
Barriers
Our proposal does face some barriers. However, most of these barriers are
manageable and simply require adequate planning or incur additional costs to the
15
homeowner. One potential barrier that was discussed with both Director of Public Works
James Rabe and Engineering Division Manager Justin Gierach was the previously
mentioned issue with the clay content of the soils in Oshkosh. Permeable pavement
systems work best when the soil underneath the pavement is capable of absorbing water
fairly quickly. Since high clay content can make soil less permeable, the high clay content
in the soil in and around Oshkosh means that permeable pavement systems may not be
appropriate in many places around the city. However, in these cases, it is also possible
to construct underdrainage and storage systems that either drain or store the water away.
Though these systems do incur additional costs to the homeowner, they also make it
possible to still use permeable pavement systems where the clay would normally prohibit
the use of such pavement systems.
James Rabe also brought up concerns regarding the particular type of permeable
pavement systems used and their associated maintenance requirements. Some types of
permeable pavement can clog easily and require periodic maintenance. T hese facts
would need to be taken into consideration when designing the permeable pavement
system for any particular application and would need to be understood by the homeowner.
Todd Meuhrer had concerns regarding maintenance. Specifically, Todd was
concerned that if a house that has permeable pavement is later sold, the new owners
may not abide by appropriate maintenance practices and allow the permeable pavement
to degrade and lose its permeability. One proposed solution to this problem that Todd
brought up was the idea of some sort of maintenance agreement that could be written
into the homebuying contract. Also, similar to James Rabe, Todd mentioned the need to
ensure that the appropriate type of permeable pavement system is being used for any
particular situation.
When interviewing Doug Bush, president of Pave Drain, and Charlie Siver, Internal
operations manager of Wolf Paving, both shared concerns regarding the construction
aspects of permeable pavement. Doug Bush stressed that a considerable concer n in the
industry is that even though permeable pavement, in general, is becoming more popular,
many businesses don’t have enough knowledge on permeable pavement. Another
concern that they raised was that different cities have different ordinances pertaini ng to
permeable pavement. This makes it difficult for them to keep track of what is and is not
allowed in different locations.
Although it would mostly impact the homeowner, cost could also be a barrier. The
average cost of a permeable pavement system is about three times as expensive as
regular pavement. However, as stated previously, if the homeowner is willing to pay for
the system, they should be allowed to, and thus this wouldn’t end up being a barrier.
Since this doesn’t necessarily impact the city, it shouldn’t stop the city from adopting code
that permits the use of permeable pavement. Furthermore, the benefits of a permeable
16
pavement system will be reaped by the city because the city will have less stormwater to
manage.
Oshkosh currently has permeable pavement applications across the city including
the senior center, Fire Station 16, and Menominee Arena. These applications are
maintained by the city where they vacuum the surfaces multiple times a year to ensure
proper drainage. Residential applications will have to be maintained by the homeowner
and the concern is that over time they won’t keep up with the maintenance and the cracks
will be clogged with rocks and sand. To clean the system, a high power vacuum is used
to clear all sand, gravel and other debris from the cracks. This can be seen as a barrier
for the homeowner. If the resident doesn’t continue maintenance on their permeable
pavement system, the driveway will act as an impervious surface. However, there is no
real damage or cost to the city if the resident falls behind on maintenance. Therefore, this
barrier ultimately has minimal impact.
Finally, from our interviews, it seems that the overall perceptions of permeable
pavements are positive. In our interviews with both city officials and Dr. McPhee, they all
had positive things to say about permeable pavement. Dr. McPhee was exuberant about
the topic. City officials understand the benefits of permeable pavement, but are concerned
about other barriers such as the previously mentioned clay soils and maintenance. These
concerns are understandable but manageable. Furthermore, many of our benchmarking
examples provide evidence that suggests that, while clay soils and maintenance are
important to take into consideration, they aren't determining fa ctors in whether or not a
permeable pavement system should be implemented.
Significance for Sustainability
The Fox-Wolf-Winnebago watershed has a long history of water pollution that
leads to our modern day issue, having an impaired waterway. Stormwater r unoff causes
pollutants to flow directly into our damaged waterways, such as phosphorus and organic
nitrogens from animal feces, grass clippings, fertilizers—which lead to toxic algal blooms
in the summer that kill dogs, poison people and especially children, and close down
beaches—as well as salts, pesticides, motor oil, and heavy metals. Beyond water
pollution, large amounts of storm runoff also lead to issues such as shoreline erosion,
flooding, loss of biodiversity, and poor refilling of groundwater sup plies. Conservation of
our impaired waterway is a priority for the city.
Permeable pavements help protect our waterways (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek,
2013). There are ten different types of permeable paver systems, which each range in
their environmental impacts throughout their life cycle (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek,
2013). These are:
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❖ porous aggregate
❖ porous turf
❖ plastic geocells
❖ open-jointed paving blocks/permeable interlocking concrete pavers
❖ open-celled paving grids
❖ porous concrete
❖ porous asphalt
❖ soft paving materials
❖ decks
❖ epoxy-bonded porous materials
These environmental impacts include differences in filtration of heavy metals, salts,
total nitrogen, total phosphorus, hydrocarbons, mineral oils, and so forth. It also includes
their carbon footprints during manufacturing and transportation, which any pavement is
going to have, permeable or impermeable. If the permeable pavement is composed of
concrete (which includes asphalt), then it is going to have a very high carbon cost both
during the manufacturing process and the transportation (Yuan et al., 2018), but non -
concrete/asphalt based pavers, such as gravel-filled plastic geocells (which is what our
own resident, Dr. Misty McPhee, wanted for her driveway) have a significantly lower
carbon footprint than concrete, nor do they experience the same maintenance costs as
concretes do.
The ability for permeable pavements to filter out pollutants is vital for the protection
of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. Stormwater runoff picks up these pollutants from
lawn fertilizers, grass clippings, animal waste, as well as motor oil from cars, mineral oil,
heavy metals, salts, and pesticides. This water then flows directly into our impaired
waterways, directly contributing to our need for costly cleaning projects, poi sonous algal
blooms in the summer, and the ecological destruction of our beloved Fox-Wolf
watershed—which also flows directly into Lake Michigan through Green Bay. But when
permeable pavements substitute for the impervious pavements of urban areas, the
stormwater instead flows through the pavement material and gets filtered and purified by
the soil’s natural biological processes.
The most immediate environmental benefit from allowing the construction of
permeable pavement driveways would be the filtration of total nitrogen, total phosphorus,
18
and total suspended solids from entering the waterway. We have a small sample of that
literature provided in the list below:
● A study by Liu et al. (2020) found that in water filtered by permeable
pavements, nitrogen levels reduced by 47.4%, phosphorus at 42.1%, and
the average removal rate of total suspended solids was 69.3%.
● An Ontario study (Drake, Bradford, & Van Seters, 2014) from 2010 -2012
compared two interlocking permeable concrete pavers (IPCP) to an asphalt
control, and it found that the IPCPs demonstrated great runoff filtration for
suspended solids, metals (copper, iron, manganese, zinc), hydrocarbons,
and nutrients (including nitrogens, phosphorus). The same study also found
that the IPCPs all-butt eliminated oils and grease from stormwater runoff,
and that overall, the IPCPs were better for stormwater management and
water quality than their impervious asphalt counterpart under similar
conditions.
● A study out of Hong Kong (Liu, Fong, & Chui, 2017) showed that pe rmeable
pavements reduced runoff by nearly 90% in drier climates and 70% in wetter
climates. In addition, they found that impervious surfaces lead to flooding,
riverbank, and water quality degradation.
● A 2007 review by Scholz and Grabowiecki found that permeable pavement
systems are far and beyond better at reducing stormwater runoff than
impervious asphalt. Additionally, permeable pavements are especially
effective at filtering hydrocarbons and mineral oil pollutants.
● A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of low-impact-development
(LID) technologies in Ontario (Bhatt, Bradford, & Abbassi, 2019), which
compared the LIDs (including permeable pavements) against traditional
stormwater management practices, such as detention ponds, and found
that LIDs have ~20% lower cradle-to-grave environmental impact than the
detention ponds, and the benefits accrued by the LIDs are ~300% higher
than the traditional detention pond.
● A study in Washington (Brattebo & Booth, 2003) found that permeable
pavements decreased motor oil concentrations dramatically.
● A 2013 literature review (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek) found that there is
an overwhelming body of literature articulating the costs and overwhelming
benefits of LIDs, especially permeable pavements. It also found t hat LIDs
are better at water infiltration across the board, and that permeable
pavement treated water can improve the quality of groundwater supplies.
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In relation to the filtration of nutrients from stormwater comes another benefit with
certain permeable pavements, and that is the ability to inoculate them with beneficial
bacteria that perform denitrification and other biological processes that purify stormwater
before it enters the groundwater supply. This benefit mostly applies to porous asphalt and
porous concrete (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek, 2013).
● The same 2013 literature review found that certain types of permeable
pavements, particularly porous asphalts and porous concretes, can be
inoculated with microbes that improve the biodegradation of nitrogen
(denitrification)—which is important for minimizing the effects of excess
nutrients from entering our waterways, thus helping to prevent toxic algal
blooms.
● This ability to inoculate porous concretes with beneficial bacteria is also
evidenced in Scholz & Grabowiecki (2007).
● Drake, Bradford, & Van Seters (2014) says that the aggregate bases
beneath permeable pavers may fill with water after especially heavy
rainfalls, but that this saturation could be used to foster beneficial bacteria
within the aggregate base.
With porosity and permeability of surfaces also comes the absorption of other
substances, such as winter road salt. This is an aspect of permeable pavements that
varies considerably from system to system.
● A 2019 paper (Selbig, Buer, & Danz) tested a p ermeable interlocking
concrete paver, porous concrete, and porous asphalt against traditional
concrete pavement for water pollution filtration properties. Chloride loads in
groundwater increase with the three permeable pavements tested, a
byproduct of being permeable. However, the paper proposes that reduced
road salt usage in cold climate areas, where salting is the primary form of
de-icing, would balance out these concerns.
● The 2014 Ontario paper by Drake, Bradford, & Van Seters found that while,
yes, road salt was more present in the permeable pavement during mid -
winter than the traditional asphalt, the effect was minimal, and the salt
concentrations were still well below tolerable thresholds.
● The 2013 literature review by Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek, found that while
road salts are a concern with permeable pavements, it is more so an issue
with the pressing need to instigate better deicing practices that do not
involve oversalting our roads. For a more in-depth proposal on better winter
20
salting practices, please read the report by our classmates who presented
on more sustainable winter road salt additives.
There is also the fact that heavy metals are another pollutant concern addressed
by permeable pavements.
● Based on a study in Madison, Wisconsin (Selbig, Buer, & Danz, 2019) that
compared interlocking permeable concrete pavers, porous concrete, and
porous asphalt, against traditional pavement, it found that porous asphalt
was the best filtrater of metals.
● The 2010-2012 Ontario study found that interlocking permeable concrete
pavers were highly effective at filtrating the metals copper, iron, zinc, and
manganese from stormwater (Drake, Bradford, & Van Seters, 2014). The
2013 literature review found that permeable pavements were good at
capturing metals from stormwater runoff, amongst their other numerous
benefits.
● Additionally, while the initial usage of some concrete permeable pavements
will temporarily increase the acidity of stormwater runoff, this effect lasts
only for the first handful of rainfall events, and it quickly tapers off to a level
that becomes much lower than traditional pavement (Drake, Bradford, &
Van Seters, 2014). This effect is no different than how some tools need to
be “broken in” with a couple of uses before they reach peak functionality.
● A study in Washington (>Brattebo and Booth, ???<) found that permeable
pavements decreased copper levels by 74% below minimum detection
levels, zinc by 22% below minimum detection levels.
As for the design of permeable pavements themselves, as with all pavements there
is a gravel aggregate base for structure, support, and as a reservoir for the rainwater as
it gets filtered through the soil. In traditional concrete pavements, the gravel aggregate
base is only for support, but because of the impervious surface the stormwater has
nowhere to go, which during heavy rainfalls can lead to flooding of streets (Drake,
Bradford, & Marsalek, 2013) (Liu, Fong, & Chui, 2017) (Drake, Bradford, & Marsalek,
2013). When the rainwater has a place to go that isn’t the stre ets, such as the gravel
aggregate base of a permeable pavement system, this reduces street flooding in that
area. Though, building owners are encouraged to work closely with professionals to build
the best permeable pavement system plausible within the confines of their local
geography. Additionally, a case study from New Zealand (Fassman, 2010) looked at how
long it took for impervious pavement and permeable pavements to begin the runoff stage
of a rain event, and the impervious pavement averaged at 12 minutes while the permeable
pavements averaged at an hour. The researchers noted that with deeper gravel
21
aggregate basins, such as would be necessary in places with poor soil drainage or that
experience more frequent or unpredictable precipitation patterns, t he time the gravel
basins took to fill extended into the three and six hour range. Thus, this drastically
decreased peak flow rates during rain events by about 90%, a significant difference for
any city or municipality that deals with flooding issues, such as in Wisconsin.
Beyond the ability for permeable pavements to improve stormwater filtration, is
also the added benefit that some of them utilize grass as part of the permeable paver
system, usually in cellular grid systems. These cellular grid systems, generally built with
either plastic geocells, interlocking concrete pavers, and open-celled paving grids, can be
reinforced with grass, dirt, sand, or gravel, with the specifics of the pavement’s design
based on its intended function and environment. The grid design helps to minimize the
effects of dirt compaction, the roots from grass strengthen the soil and prevent erosion
and improve gravel retention, the gravel fill is not susceptible to ecological or clogging
problems of concretes nor does the gravel readily escape its geocell containers, and sand
cannot be clogged by itself (Drake, Bradford, & Marselek, 2013). These types of
permeable paver systems and their non-concrete inclusions are the best options for
preserving our waterways, minimizing erosion, and allowing residents an opportunity to
drastically reduce their own carbon footprints.
Summary
We are proposing a small legislative change to our residential development codes,
that residents may be permitted to build permeable paver system driveways in addition
to the pre-existing ability to build them for patios. The City of Oshkosh is concerned with
water conservation of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, and allowing residents to have
permeable pavers developed on private land as part of a personal effort to minimize water
pollution should be encouraged in our city codes.
Permeable pavement systems are a great benefit to water conservation. Benefits
include: the infiltration of stormwater runoff, which leads to the reduction of heavy metals,
mineral oils, hydrocarbons, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in our waterways;
reduction in phosphorus and nitrogen helps minimize noxious algal blooms in the
summer; and heavy metals are a well-known pollutant to the Fox River. While the types
of systems vary wildly, from porous asphalts and porous concretes, to bricks arranged
neatly with spaces in between to allow water to percolate between bricks, to less
conventional systems such as gravel-aggregates; thus their benefits and costs do range,
that is a matter for the private citizen to decide for themselves. By legalizing the
implementation of permeable paver systems in driveways for private citizens, it is giving
citizens the freedom to choose to be able to reduce water pollution, and it would be in -
line with the already existing permeable pavement systems around the city, such as the
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the Menominee Nation Arena.
22
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Bhatt, A.; Bradford, A.; Abbassi, B. (2019). E. Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment
(LCA) of low-impact-development(LID) technologies in southern Ontario. Journal
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Brattebo, B. O., and Booth, D. B. (2003) “Long-Term Stormwater Quantity and Quality
Performance of Permeable Pavement Systems.” Water Research.
“Case Studies for Permeable Paver Systems.” County Materials Corporation, County
Materials Corporation, 2016.
City of Rockville. City of Rockville Permeable Pavement Design Guide. City of Rockville,
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Pavement-Design-Guide
Drake, J. A. P.; Bradford, A.; and Marsalek, J. (2013). Review of environmental
performance of permeable pavement systems: state of the knowledge. Water
Quality Research Journal of Canada 48(3): 203-222.
https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrjc.2013.055
Drake, J.; Bradford, A.; Van Seters, T. (2014). Stormwater quality of spring–summer-fall
effluent from three partial-infiltration permeable pavement systems and
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Appendix A - Costs of Different Types and Installation of Permeable Pavement
Permeable Pavement Costs: Here are the costs for the different types of permeable
pavement for 2015 (Terhell).
Surface Type Limitations/Application Material average
cost/ft^2
Average Life span
26
Pervious
Concrete
Small to large projects $6.66 25
Concrete
Pavers
Small to large projects $11.10 25-30
Permeable Pavers vs. Asphalt Parking Lot Construction/Maintenance: (Terhell, 2015)
Although our project focuses on residential areas, the above table gives a good
visualization of the costs associated with the process of permeable pavers being installed
and maintained. The amount saved is around $64,649.66 over 25 years for ½ acre of
land by installing permeable pavement instead of standard asphalt. However, these costs
will decrease regarding driveways as they are a smaller project.
Looking at the analysis of permeable pavements compared to r egular asphalt,
various costs are associated with them. The initial costs (money and labor) for permeable
pavers required for standard asphalt installation are higher. The high initial cost
associated with permeable surfaces is due to the design and infras tructure necessary to
let surface water permeate the underlying soil properly.
On the other side, due to the lack of base layers needed to install, standard asphalt
27
has a low installation cost. The lower installation cost of regular asphalt is followed by
high upkeep/maintenance costs throughout its lifetime. These upkeep costs are related
to the cracking and patching of worn-out surfaces due to the high surface tensions in
asphalt affected by weathering, environmental impacts, and temperature increases.
Appendix B - Example of Municipal Code From Minneapolis, MN
The following is the section of Minneapolis’ municipal code dealing with permeable
pavement. Their implementation provides an example of code that is both detailed and
simple and served as the template for our code recommendation.
541.305. - Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems.
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(a) In general. Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems, capable of carrying a
wheel load of four thousand (4,000) pounds, including pervious asphalt, pervious
concrete, modular pavers designed to funnel water between blocks, lattice or honeycomb
shaped concrete grids with turf grass or gravel filled voids to funnel water, plastic geocells
with turf grass or gravel, reinforced turf grass or gravel with overlaid or embedded
meshes, or similar structured and durab le systems are permitted. Gravel, turf, or other
materials that are not part of a structured system designed to manage stormwater shall
not be considered pervious pavement or a pervious pavement system. Pervious
pavement and pervious pavement systems shall meet the following conditions:
(4) All materials shall be installed per industry standards. Appropriate soils and site
conditions shall exist for the pervious pavement or pervious pavement system to
function. For parking lots of ten (10) spaces or more docume ntation that verifies
appropriate soils and site conditions shall be provided.
(5) All materials shall be maintained per industry and city standards. Areas damaged
by snow plows or other vehicles shall be promptly repaired. Gravel that has
migrated from the pervious pavement systems onto adjacent areas shall be swept
and removed regularly.
(6) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems, except for pervious asphalt
or pervious concrete, shall not be used for accessible parking spaces or the
accessible route from the accessible space to the principal structure or use
served.
(7) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems shall be prohibited in areas
used for the dispensing of gasoline or other engine fuels or where hazardous
liquids could be absorbed into the soil through the pervious pavement or pervious
pavement system.
(8) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems, except for pervious asphalt,
pervious concrete, or modular pavers shall not be used for drive aisles or
driveways.
(9) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems that utilize turf grass shall be
limited to overflow parking spaces that are not utilized for required parking and
that are not occupied on a daily or regular basis.
(10) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems that utilize gravel with
overlaid or embedded mesh or geocells shall be limited to industrial districts and
shall not be used for drive aisles or driveways, except as otherwise allowed by
this chapter, and in no case shall be used for drive aisles or driveways less than
a minimum of twenty (20) feet from the curbline.
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(11) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems used for parking or
associated drive aisles or driveways shall count as impervious surface for the
purposes of impervious surface coverage in any zoning district that has a
maximum impervious surface limit or percentage, except where a pervious
pavement system utilizing turf grass is provided for a fire access lane that is
independent of a parking lot.
(12) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems shall not count as
required landscaping except as allowed by alternative compliance as a part of
Chapter 530, Site Plan Review.
(13) Pervious pavement or pervious pavement systems shall not allow parking
spaces, drive aisles, or driveways to be located anywhere not otherwise permitted
by the regulations of this zoning ordinance and the district in which it is located.
(14) Parking areas shall have the parking spaces marked as required by this
chapter except that pervious pavement systems that utilize gravel or turf may use
alternative marking to indicate the location of the parking space, including, but not
limited to, markings at the end of spaces on the drive aisle or cu rbing, wheel
stops, or concrete or paver strips in lieu of painted lines.
(b) Off-street parking areas and driveways accessory to single-, two-, and three-family
dwellings. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a), off-street parking areas and
driveways accessory to a single-family dwelling may be surfaced with pervious paving
systems that utilize gravel installed and maintained per industry standards. Off -street
parking areas and driveways accessory to single -, two-, or three-family dwellings may
be surfaced with pervious paving systems that utilize turf with plastic geocells or open -
celled paving grids installed and maintained per industry standards and designed so that
the parking of vehicles does not kill the turf.
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Appendix C - Driveway Installation Policy, Menasha, WI
The following is the City of Menasha’s Driveway Installation Policy.
1. This Driveway Installation Policy has been adopted by the Common Council as a
supplement to Section 13-1-51(b)(1) of the Municipal Code and applies to R-1, R-
2, and R-2A zoning districts. It is intended to assist with interpretation and
application of the section but may not cover all situations encountered.
2. A Driveway Permit and Zoning Permit from the Building Inspection Office and a
Grade Request from the Department of Public Works shall be obtained prior to
installation of any driveway, driveway extension, or parking area. Permit
applications shall include a site plan drawn to sc ale showing the location and
dimensions of the driveway or parking area in relation to all property lines,
structures, service walks, sidewalks, and street rights of way along with
specifications showing the proposed materials and cross sectional dimension s.
3. The following standards shall apply:
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a. All driveways, driveway extensions, parking areas, and driveway aprons
shall be surfaced (“paved”) with a durable dust-free material acceptable to
the Department of Public Works. Alternative materials shall be approved
prior to installation by the Director of Public Works as part of the Driveway
Permit application. This paving requirement shall not apply to parking areas
utilized solely for storage of recreational vehicles in compliance with Sec.
13-1-52.
b. Approved paving materials include concrete, asphalt, brick, and similar
durable, dust free materials acceptable to the Department of Public Works.
Durable, dust free pervious paving materials specifically designed to reduce
stormwater runoff are encouraged and may be utilized upon approval by the
Director of Public Works.
c. The minimum width of any paved driveway or parking area shall be nine (9)
feet. If a property does not have a garage, carport, or rear yard parking area,
the property owner shall be required to have a minimum area of 320 square
feet of paved area per dwelling unit. The minimum paved area shall be
adjacent to the driveway apron.
d. The following minimum installation standards shall apply:
i. Concrete shall be finished to a minimum thickness of 4” and installed
on a minimum 4” base of 3⁄4’ crushed aggregate;
ii. Asphalt shall be finished to a minimum thickness of 2 1⁄2” and
installed on a minimum 6” base of 3⁄4” crushed aggregate;
iii. Paving bricks shall be no less than 2 1⁄4” thick and installed on a
minimum 4” base of approved granular material.
iv. Similar durable, dust-free materials approved by the Department of
Public Works shall be installed in a manner that is consistent with
professional installation standards.
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Appendix D - Example application of Permeable Pavement
The following is an example application of permeable pavement.
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Appendix E - DNR Technical Bulletin on Permeable Pavement Implementation
The Wisconsin DNR has already put together a technical standard regarding t he
implementation of permeable pavement. Below is a link to that technical standard, and
we will also be forwarding a copy of them along with this proposal.
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/stormwater/documents/1008PermeablePavement.pdf
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Appendix F - Example of Educational Material from Laurel, MD
Should the City of Oshkosh want to engage in an educational campaign for permeable
pavement, we have provided a sample of literature that other municipalities have used to
spread awareness of permeable pavement. The following is a copy of a permeable
pavement handout put together by the city of Laurel, Maryland and found here:
www.cityoflaurel.org/system/files/files/permeable20pavement20guidelines20pdf.pdf.
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