In accordance with Article 9 of the Town Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York, the Town Board of the Town of Richmond has the authority to enact local laws for the purpose of promoting the health, safety or general welfare of the Town, including the protection and preservation of the property of its inhabitants and roads. By the same authority, the Town Board may include in any such local laws, provision for the appointment of municipal officers or employees to enforce and administer such local laws. The Town may also, at its discretion, enter into an agreement for service with the Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District for stormwater management, soil erosion and sediment control.
A. 
In order that site preparation and construction activities may be in conformance with the provisions of this chapter, this chapter is hereby adopted and shall be known and may be cited as the "Stormwater Management, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Local Law of the Town of Richmond."
B. 
Upon the filing of this chapter by the Secretary of State, all site preparation and construction activities requiring a permit under this chapter shall be in conformance with the provisions set forth herein.
It is the purpose of this chapter to protect public health, safety and welfare in the Town of Richmond by regulating site preparation and construction activities, including but not limited to excavation, filling, grading and stripping, so as to prevent problems related to soil erosion, sedimentation or drainage, and preventing large erosion from freshets. In relation to this purpose, this chapter is intended to:
A. 
Require land development activities to conform to the substantive requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) general permit for construction activities, or as amended or revised.
B. 
Minimize stormwater runoff and soil erosion from land development activities in order to reduce flooding, siltation and stream bank erosion and maintain the integrity of stream channels.
C. 
Minimize increases in soil erosion caused by stormwater runoff from land development activities which would degrade Honeoye Lake water quality.
D. 
Minimize the total annual volume of stormwater runoff which flows from any specific site during and following development to the maximum extent practicable.
E. 
Reduce stormwater runoff rates, volumes and soil erosion wherever possible, through stormwater management practices, and to ensure that these management practices are properly maintained to eliminate threats to public safety and health.
F. 
Preserve the quality of the natural environment from such adverse effects from pollution to Honeoye Lake and watercourses, from silt or other materials from stormwater-related events. Examples of stormwater erosion and pollutants include but are not limited to nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that promote the overgrowth of algae, deplete oxygen in the lake and be harmful to other aquatic life.
G. 
Honeoye Lake has been placed on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's 303(d) Priority Waterbody List, threatened due to water supply concerns relating to nutrient loading from stormwater runoff.
H. 
Ensure that site preparation and construction are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the Town of Richmond.
I. 
Encourage the use of green infrastructure practices to control stormwater runoff, such as protecting natural areas, reducing impervious cover, and runoff reduction techniques, to the maximum extent practicable.
J. 
Protect the Town of Richmond and other governmental bodies from having to undertake, at public expense, programs of repairing roads, flood protection and other public infrastructure.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AGRICULTURAL OR FARM ACTIVITIES
See § 200-7.
APPLICANT
A property owner or agent of a property owner who has filed an application for a land development activity.
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL
A licensed architect, a licensed engineer, a licensed landscape architect, or an International Erosion Control Association (IECA) certified professional in erosion and sediment control.
DESIGN MANUAL
The New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual, most recent version, including applicable updates, that serves as the official guide for stormwater management principles, methods and practices.
DEVELOPER
A person who undertakes land development activities.
DEVELOPMENT
Any physical alteration of a site or area, including, but not limited to, providing access to a site, the clearing of vegetation, grading, earthmoving, altering landforms, or construction of a structure on the land. Includes land development activity that is part of a larger common plan of development or sale, even though multiple separate and distinct land development activities may take place at different times on different schedules (e.g., subdivision).
EROSION
The wearing away of the land surface by the action of wind, water, gravity or other natural forces.
EROSION CONTROL MANUAL
The most recent version of the New York Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control Manual, commonly known as the "Blue Book."
FRESHET
A sudden overflow of a stream or any watercourses resulting from a heavy rain or a thaw.
GRADING
The alteration of the surface or subsurface conditions of land, lakes, ponds or watercourses by excavation or filling.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green infrastructure approaches infiltrate, evapotranspire or reuse stormwater, using soils and vegetation rather than hardscape collection, conveyance and storage structures. Common green infrastructure approaches include green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, vegetated swales, pocket wetlands, infiltration planters, vegetated median strips, reforestation, and protection and enhancement of riparian buffers and floodplains.
HONEOYE LAKE WATERSHED
The Honeoye Lake Watershed shall consist of all land, south of U.S. Route 20A, within the Town of Richmond, abutting Honeoye Lake or any tributary, gulley, stream, and watercourses which carry runoff and sedimentation into Honeoye Lake. The most recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) series topographical maps for the Honeoye and Honeoye Lake quadrangles will be used to determine which properties affected by this chapter. The topographical map will be available to the public to view.
LAND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
Any man-made change of the land surface, including removing vegetative cover, excavating, filling and grading, but not including agricultural land uses such as the planting, growing, cultivating and harvesting of crops; the growing and tending of gardens; the harvesting of trees; and landscaping modifications.
MEAN HIGH-WATER MARK
The mean high-water mark for Honeoye Lake is 803.5 feet above sea level.
NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Pollution from any source other than from discernible, confined and discrete conveyances, and shall include, but not be limited to, pollutants from agricultural, silvicultural, mining, construction, subsurface disposal and runoff sources.
ONCOR (ONTARIO COUNTY ONLINE RESOURCES)
A general information source available for the Stormwater Management Officer to determine property lines and official watercourses. ONCOR is a cooperative project between the Ontario County Planning Department, Real Property Tax, Information Services, and the County Clerk's office.
SITE PREPARATION
The activities of stripping, excavation, filling and grading, no matter what the purpose of these activities.
SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL CONCEPT PLAN
A drawing or sketch prepared by the applicant or his/her agent that identifies pre-development and post-development conditions on a site and outlines the erosion control measures to be used. The plan shall substantially follow Appendix E (Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for Small Home Site Construction) of the New York Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control.
SPDES GENERAL PERMIT FOR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
A permit under the New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) issued to developers of construction activities to regulate disturbance of one or more acres of land.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT OFFICER (SMO)
An employee or officer designated by the municipality to accept and review stormwater pollution prevention plans, forward the plans to the applicable municipal board and inspect stormwater management practices.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (SMPS)
Measures, either structural or nonstructural, that are determined to be the most effective, practical means of preventing flood damage and preventing or reducing point source or nonpoint source pollution inputs to stormwater runoff and water bodies.
STREAM CORRIDOR
The landscape features on both sides of a stream, including soils, slope and vegetation, whose alteration can directly impact the stream's physical characteristics and biological properties.
TOWN STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN (TSWPPP)
A plan for controlling runoff and reducing erosion from a site during and after construction activities.
TRAINED CONTRACTOR
An employee from the contracting (construction) company who has received four hours of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation-endorsed training in proper erosion and sediment control principles. After receiving the initial training, the trained contractor shall receive four hours of training every three years. It can also mean an employee from the contracting (construction) company that meets the qualified inspector qualifications.
UTILITIES
Public and private services, including, but not limited to, public water and sewer connection, private wells and septic systems, and telephone, natural gas, electric, and cable television services.
WATERCOURSE
A permanent or intermittent stream or other body of water, either natural or man-made, which gathers or carries surface water.