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Village of Elm Grove, WI
Waukesha County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted 8-10-1987]
The intent of this article is to require erosion control practices that will reduce the amount of sediment and other pollutants leaving construction sites during land development or land disturbance activities. This article applies to all land disturbing construction activities.
This article is adopted under the authority granted by § 61.354, Wis. Stats.
A. 
Findings. The Village of Elm Grove finds that runoff from construction sites carries a significant amount of sediment and other pollutants to the waters of the state and this Village.
B. 
Purpose. It is the purpose of this article to preserve the natural resources; to protect the quality of the waters of the state and the Village; and to protect and promote the health, safety and welfare of the people, to the extent practicable, by minimizing the amount of sediment and other pollutants carried by runoff or discharged from construction sites to lakes, streams and wetlands.
This article applies to land disturbing and land developing activities on lands within the boundaries and jurisdiction of the Village. All state-funded or state-conducted construction is exempt from this article.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AGRICULTURAL LAND USE
Use of land for planting, growing, cultivating and harvesting of crops for human or livestock consumption and pasturing or yarding of livestock.
COMMERCIAL LAND USE
Use of land for the retail or wholesale sale of goods or services.
CONSTRUCTION SITE CONTROL MEASURE
A control measure used to meet the requirements of § 325-8B.
CONTROL MEASURE
A practice or combination of practices to control erosion and attendant pollution.
CONTROL PLAN
A written description of the number, locations, sizes and other pertinent information of control measures designed to meet the requirements of this article submitted by the applicant for review and approval by the Public Works Director.
EROSION
The detachment and movement of soil, sediment or rock fragments by water, wind, ice or gravity.
LAND DEVELOPING ACTIVITY
The construction of buildings, roads, parking lots, paved storage areas and similar facilities.
LAND DISTURBING CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY
Any man-made change of the land surface, including removing vegetation cover, excavating, filling and grading but not including agricultural land uses such as planting, growing, cultivating and harvesting of crops, growing and tending of gardens, harvesting of trees and landscaping modifications.
LANDOWNER
Any person holding title to or having an interest in land.
LAND USER
Any person operating, leasing, renting or having made other arrangements with the landowner by which the landowner authorizes use of his or her land.
RUNOFF
The rainfall, snow melt or irrigation water flowing over the ground surface.
SET OF ONE-YEAR DESIGN STORMS
The following rain intensities and rain volumes or corresponding values specific to the community for the storm durations of 0.5, one, three, six, 12 and 24 hours that occur approximately once per year.
Storm Duration
(hours)
Average Rain Intensity
(inches/hour)
Total Rain
(inches)
0.5
1.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.1
3
0.7
1.3
6
0.5
1.5
12
0.2
2.0
24
0.1
2.3
SITE
The entire area included in the legal description of the land on which the land disturbing or land development activity is proposed in the permit application.
All control measures required to comply with this article shall meet the design criteria, standards and specifications for the control measures based on accepted design criteria, standards and specifications identified by the Public Works Director.
All sedimentation basins and other control measures necessary to meet the requirements of this article shall be maintained by the applicant or subsequent landowner during the period of land disturbance and land development of the site in a satisfactory manner to ensure adequate performance and to prevent nuisance conditions.
A. 
Applicability. This article applies to the following sites of land development or land disturbing activities:
[Amended 3-8-1999]
(1) 
Those requiring a subdivision plat approval or the construction or demolition, as that term is defined in Chapter 106, Building Construction, § 106-12A of the Village Code, of any house or commercial, industrial or institutional buildings.
(2) 
Those requiring a certified survey approval or the construction of houses or commercial, industrial or institutional buildings on lots of approved certified surveys.
(3) 
Those involving grading, removal of protective ground cover or vegetation, excavation, land filling or other land disturbing activity affecting a surface area of 4,000 square feet or more.
(4) 
Those involving excavation or filling or a combination of excavation and filling affecting 40 cubic yards or more of dirt, sand or other excavation or fill material.
[Amended 2-24-2009]
(5) 
Those involving street, highway, road or bridge construction, enlargement, relocation or reconstruction.
(6) 
Those involving the laying, repairing, replacing or enlarging of an underground pipe or facility for a distance of 300 feet or more.
B. 
Erosion and other pollutant control requirements. The following requirements shall be met on all sites described in Subsection A:
(1) 
Site dewatering. Water pumped from the site shall be treated by temporary sedimentation basins, grit chambers, sand filters, up-slope chambers, hydro-cyclones, swirl concentrators or other appropriate controls designed and used to remove particles of 100 microns or greater for the highest dewatering pumping rate. If the water is demonstrated to have no particles greater than 100 microns during dewatering operations, then no control is needed before discharge, except as determined by the Public Works Director. Water may not be discharged in a manner that causes erosion of the site or receiving channels.
(2) 
Waste and material disposal. All waste and unused building materials (including garbage, debris, cleaning wastes, wastewater, toxic materials or hazardous materials) shall be properly disposed and not allowed to be carried by runoff into a receiving channel or storm sewer system.
(3) 
Tracking. Each site shall have graveled roads, access drives and parking areas of sufficient width and length to prevent sediment from being tracked onto public or private roadways. Any sediment reaching a public or private road shall be removed by street cleaning (not flushing) before the end of each workday.
(4) 
Drain inlet protection. All storm drain inlets shall be protected with a straw bale, filter fabric or equivalent barrier meeting accepted design criteria, standards and specifications.
(5) 
Site erosion control. The following criteria [Subsection B(5)(a) through (d)] apply only to land development or land disturbing activities that result in runoff leaving the site:
(a) 
Channelized runoff from adjacent areas passing through the site shall be diverted around disturbed areas, if practical. Otherwise, the channel shall be protected as described below in Subsection B(5)(c)[3]. Sheet flow runoff from adjacent areas greater than 10,000 square feet in area shall also be diverted around disturbed areas unless shown to have resultant runoff velocities of less than 0.5 feet per second across the disturbed area for the set of one-year design storms. Diverted runoff shall be conveyed in a manner that will not erode the conveyance and receiving channels.
(b) 
All activities on the site shall be conducted in a logical sequence to minimize the area of bare soil exposed at any one time.
(c) 
Runoff from the entire disturbed area on the site shall be controlled by meeting either Subsection B(5)(c)[1] and [2] or [1] and [3].
[1] 
All disturbed ground left inactive for 21 or more days shall be stabilized by seeding or sodding (only available prior to September 15) or by mulching or covering or other equivalent control measure. Because of inclement weather or extenuating circumstances, the Building Inspector may vary this requirement up to 30 days.
[2] 
For sites with more than 10 acres disturbed at one time, or if a channel originates in the disturbed area, one or more sedimentation basins shall be constructed. Each sedimentation basin shall have a surface area of at least 1% of the area draining to the basin and at least three feet of depth and shall be constructed in accordance with accepted design specifications. Sediment shall be removed to maintain a depth of three feet. The basin shall be designed to trap sediment greater than 15 microns in size, based on the set of one-year design storms having durations from 0.5 to 24 hours. The basin discharge rate shall also be sufficiently low so as not to cause erosion along the discharge channel or the receiving water.
[3] 
For sites with less than 10 acres disturbed at one time, filter fences, straw bales or equivalent control measures shall be placed along all sideslope and downslope sides of the site. If a channel or area of concentrated runoff passes through the site, filter fences shall be placed along the channel edges to reduce sediment reaching the channel.
(d) 
Any soil or dirt storage piles containing more than 10 cubic yards of material should not be located with a downslope drainage length of less than 25 feet to a roadway or drainage channel. If remaining for more than seven days, they shall be stabilized by mulching, vegetative cover, tarps or other means. Erosion from piles which will be in existence for less than seven days shall be controlled by placing straw bales or filter fence barriers around the pile. In-street utility repair or construction soil or dirt storage piles located closer than 25 feet to a roadway or drainage channel must be covered with tarps or suitable alternative control if exposed for more than seven days, and the storm drain inlets must be protected with straw bales or other appropriate filtering barriers.
No landowner or land user may commence a land disturbance or land development activity subject to this article without receiving prior approval of a control plan for the site and a permit from the Public Works Director. At least one landowner or land user controlling or using the site and desiring to undertake a land disturbing or land developing activity subject to this article shall submit an application for a permit and a control plan and pay an application fee to the Village of Elm Grove. By submitting an application, the applicant is authorizing the Village personnel and agents to enter the site to obtain information required for the review of the control plan.
A. 
Content of the control plan for land disturbing activities covering more than one acre.
(1) 
Existing site map. A map of existing site conditions on a scale of at least one inch equals 100 feet showing the site and immediately adjacent areas.
(a) 
Site boundaries and adjacent lands which accurately identify site location;
(b) 
Lakes, streams, wetlands, channels, ditches and other watercourses on and immediately adjacent to the site;
(c) 
One-hundred-year floodplains, flood fringes and floodways;
(d) 
Location of the predominant soil types;
(e) 
Vegetative cover;
(f) 
Location and dimensions of stormwater drainage systems and natural drainage patterns on and immediately adjacent to the site and existing flows through the site in accordance with the one-year set of storms;
(g) 
Locations and dimensions of utilities, structures, roads, highways and paving; and
(h) 
Site topography at a contour interval not to exceed five feet.
(2) 
Plan of final site conditions. A plan of final site conditions on the same scale as the existing site map showing the site changes.
(3) 
Site construction plan. A site construction plan including:
(a) 
Locations and dimensions of all proposed land disturbing activities;
(b) 
Locations and dimensions of all temporary soil or dirt stockpiles;
(c) 
Locations, dimensions and specifications of all construction site management control measures necessary to meet the requirements of this article;
(d) 
Schedule of anticipated starting and completion dates of each land disturbing or land developing activity, including the installation of construction site control measures needed to meet the requirements of this article; and
(e) 
Provisions for maintenance of the construction site control measures during construction.
B. 
Content of control plan statement for land disturbing activities covering less one acre but meeting the applicability requirements stated in § 325-8A.
(1) 
An erosion control plan statement (with map) shall be submitted to briefly describe the site and erosion controls (including the site development schedule) that will be used to meet the requirements of this article.
C. 
Review of control plan. Within 30 days of receipt of the application, control plan (or control plan statement) and fee, the Public Works Director shall review the application and control plan to determine if the requirements of this article are met. The Public Works Director shall approve the plan, inform the applicant and issue a permit. If the conditions are not met, the Public Works Director shall inform the applicant in writing and may either require needed information or disapprove the plan. Within 30 days of receipt of needed information, the Public Works Director shall again determine if the plan meets the requirements of this article. If the plan is disapproved, the Public Works Director shall inform the applicant in writing of the reasons for the disapproval.
D. 
Permits.
(1) 
Duration. Permits shall be valid for a period of 180 days or the length of the building permit or other construction authorizations, whichever is longer, from the date of issuance. The Public Works Director may extend the period one or more times for up to an additional 180 days. The Public Works Director may require additional control measures as a condition of the extension if they are necessary to meet the requirements of this article.
(2) 
Performance bonds. As a condition of the approval and issuance of the permit, the Public Works Director shall require the applicant to provide either a bond, irrevocable letter of credit or cash escrow to guarantee a good faith execution of the approved control plan and any permit conditions. This amount shall be not less than the cost of constructing the improvements for erosion and sediment control practices.
(a) 
The guaranty shall include the cost of implementing all phases of the plan, from the clearing and stockpiling operation to final grading and landscaping, including a maintenance guaranty for a period of not less than two years from the recording of the final land division document, acceptance of the improvements by the municipality or the issuance of a permit on a grading project only, whichever occurs last.
(b) 
An agreement will be part of this guaranty which will give the municipality the authority to use the funds to complete the project if the developer or contractor defaults or does not properly implement the approved plan. This agreement shall be effective for a sufficient time period to perform the activities required, make the appropriate inspections and approve the final installation after completion. The municipality may extend the agreement beyond its original expiration date if necessary, due to unexpected or unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the developer.
(c) 
A performance guaranty shall be replaced with a maintenance guarantee for a stated period of time in an amount equal to a percentage of the cost of the construction of the improvements and usually between 10% and 15%. This agreement shall also be recorded in the Waukesha County Register of Deeds office.
(3) 
Permit conditions. All permits shall require the permittee to:
(a) 
Notify the Public Works Director within 48 hours of commencing any land disturbing activity;
(b) 
Notify the Public Works Director of completion of any control measures within 14 days after their installation;
(c) 
Obtain permission in writing from the Public Works Director prior to modifying the control plan;
(d) 
Install all control measures as identified in the approved control plan;
(e) 
Maintain all road drainage systems, stormwater drainage systems, control measures and other facilities identified in the control plan;
(f) 
Repair any siltation or erosion damage to adjoining surfaces and drainageways resulting from land developing or disturbing activities;
(g) 
Inspect the construction control measures after each rain of 0.5 inches or more and at least once each week and make needed repairs;
(h) 
Allow the Public Works Director to enter the site for the purpose of inspecting compliance with the control plan or for performing any work necessary to bring the site into compliance with the control plan; and
(i) 
Keep a copy of the control plan on the site.
A. 
The Public Works Director shall inspect construction sites at least once a month during the period starting March 1 and ending October 31 and at least two times during the period starting November 1 and ending February 28 to ensure compliance with the control plan.
B. 
If land disturbing or land development activities are being carried out without a permit, the Public Works Director shall enter the land pursuant to the provisions of §§ 66.122 and 66.123, Wis. Stats.
A. 
The Public Works Director may post a stop-work order if:
(1) 
Any land disturbing or land developing activity regulated under this article is being undertaken without a permit;
(2) 
The control plan is not being implemented in a good faith manner; or
(3) 
The conditions of the permit are not being met.
B. 
If the permittee does not cease the activity or comply with the control plan or permit conditions within 10 days, the Public Works Director may revoke the permit.
C. 
If the landowner or land user where no permit has been issued does not cease the activity within 20 days, the Public Works Director may request the Village Attorney to obtain a cease and desist order.
D. 
The Public Works Director or the Board of Appeals may retract the stop-work order or the revocation.
E. 
Ten days after posting a stop-work order, the Public Works Director may issue a notice of intent to the permittee or landowner or land user of the Public Works Director's intent to perform work necessary to comply with this article. The Public Works Director may go on the land and commence the work after 14 days from issuing the notice of intent. The costs of the work performed by the Public Works Director plus interest at the rate authorized by the Village Board shall be billed to the permittee or the landowner. In the event a permittee or landowner fails to pay the amount due, the Clerk shall enter the amount due on the tax rolls and collect it as a special assessment against the property pursuant to § 66.60(16), Wis. Stats.
F. 
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article or any rule or regulation made under this article shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-16 of this Code, except that the forfeiture shall not be less than $100.
[Amended 4-10-2000; 7-26-2005]
G. 
Compliance with the provisions of this article may also be enforced by injunction.
[Amended 4-10-2000]
A. 
Any person aggrieved by the administration of this article may appeal the decision to the Board of Appeals established by the Village pursuant to § 62.23(7)(e), Wis. Stats. The Board shall hear and decide appeals where it is alleged that there is an error in any order, decision or determination made by the Village Engineer or Zoning Administrator in administering this article.
B. 
The owner may appeal to the Board of Appeals within 10 calendar days of actual service of the order. If an appeal is not taken by filing in writing with the Village Clerk within such 10 days, the order shall be final. Hearings before the Board of Appeals shall be conducted pursuant to § 62.23(7)(e), Wis. Stats.
Any costs incurred by the municipality in obtaining legal, planning, engineer or other technical or professional advice in the review or inspection of the development projects shall be charged to the applicant and paid prior to the approval of the final plat or certified survey or prior to issuance of a building permit on the development.