By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

The Fayette County Planning Commission Thursday will continue its discussion of ways to keep the county from being buried in concrete and asphalt.

At the request of the county Board of Commissioners, the planning panel last month began a study of porous paving materials. It's hoped that county development regulations can be changed so that use of alternatives to pavement will be encouraged.

“It's a complex process and there's no simple answer,” said commission member Fred Bowen as the group began discussions.

Fayette may be breaking new ground in addressing the problem, Bowen said. He asked staff to research whether other governments have enacted legislation that Fayette can use as a model.

County commissioners recently directed the Planning Commission to look into the matter after Commissioner Glen Gosa pointed out that county laws restrict the amount of impervious surface — pavement and buildings — allowed in shopping centers and businesses, but at the same time the laws require a minimum number of parking spaces and minimum widths of driveways and roads.

Proposed new state and federal regulations will require local governments to collect and possibly purify the rain water that runs off parking lots, rooftops, driveways and streets. That provides added incentive to reduce the amount of runoff, Gosa said.

“We're creating a problem we're going to have to fix years down the road when it comes to storm water runoff,” agreed Commissioner Greg Dunn.

Numerous products exist for covering parking lots and driveways that will allow rain to seep through into the water table rather than running off into streams, county zoning administrator Kathy Zeitler told the commission during its work session last month. In some cases, plain old gravel may be acceptable, commissioners said. Possible changes in the county's rules suggested by staff include allowing developers to use these porous paving products for up to 25 percent of their required parking space.

But the county has little experience with most of the products and needs more information about how they perform long term before allowing their use in local construction, commissioners said.

And most of the products are more expensive than conventional paving, something that should be considered as well, commissioners said.

But, “It may be more costly to [developers] in the future if they don't do something now,” said commission Chairman Bob Harbison.

Developers may have to share in the cost of treating and controlling storm water runoff, he said.

If developers are allowed to use these porous paving products, said commission member Jim Graw, there will have to be specific requirements about maintenance. Many of the products become clogged over time and stop working unless they're pressure washed or vacuumed, he said.

Another suggestion is to create a maximum percentage of impervious surface allowed in residential development. A similar rule already exists for commercial and industrial construction.

“Impervious” surface includes pavement as well as buildings and any other surface that would block rain water from seeping into the ground.