CR mulls Coralville runoff rule

Amy Foster, stormwater coordinator for the city of Coralville, points to a recently constructed housing subdivision in her city as proof that a local topsoil replacement rule is working.

'They had eight inches when they went in and replaced eight inches,” Foster said. 'It worked out fine. It really hasn't seemed to be a very big deal.”

Coralville's topsoil rule is one component in an aggressive post-construction stormwater ordinance requiring all development and redevelopment projects to implement strategies for soaking up runoff. Cedar Rapids officials now are in the early stages of adopting the same topsoil replacement rule here.

It's objective is simple. Every completed building site and new home's lawn is covered in organic material capable of soaking up water and reducing runoff. If the site had a healthy layer of topsoil before construction, that topsoil is replaced in a manner that avoids compaction after construction.

If little or no topsoil is present before construction, builders have a range of options for what can be spread on a completed site, including inexpensive compost mixtures.

So builders get some flexibility. Homeowners get a lawn that's not simply a compacted patch of clay with sod perched on top. In some cases, finished sites will be better suited to soak up water then they were before construction. And the community gets the benefits of runoff reduction, mitigating flash flooding and improving water quality. It's arguably a better rule than the 4-inch standard scrapped by state officials.

So Cedar Rapids is on the right track, at least for now.

'The purpose of this is to start the discussion,” said City Council member Scott Olson, who chairs the council's Infrastructure Committee. The committee heard about the proposal from Cedar Rapids Stormwater Coordinator Kasey Hutchinson.

Where that discussion goes will be critical. Olson and his fellow committee members appear supportive, but what remains to be seen is how local builders and developers will react.

Some may argue replacing soil or spreading compost will make homes less affordable. But when you look at the potential costs of rushing runoff for a community, and future costs to homeowners with dysfunctional yards, it's an argument that doesn't hold water. Insisting replacement of a home's soil is too expensive is like saying shingles, windows and plumbing hurt affordability. It's not a fancy frill or option, it's a necessity.

Council members heard Tuesday that Cedar Rapids's storm sewer system, which must handle runoff that isn't being soaked up, has a backlog of 90 projects totaling $50 million. Speaking of unaffordable, the city will spend just $2 million next budget year on that list. There's now talk of issuing bonded debt to speed up storm sewer repairs.

So runoff carries high costs, As Olson noted, the price of restoring soil is, by comparison, 'a drop in the bucket.” Following the lead of Coralville, and a similar ordinance moving toward passage in North Liberty, is the right thing to do.

'It's more work on our part. But we have to do this to potentially protect our residents,” Foster said.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com