FSU Cited for Storm Water Master Plan
Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) Campus Storm Water Master Plan received the Honor Award from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects at a ceremony on October 26, 2012. The award was given in the Analysis and Planning Category and recognizes outstanding, imaginative and well resolved solutions. Jury comments included “… a template that other universities should use…” and “It is great seeing a landscape architect take the lead on this kind of project. All of the designs have been thoughtful and well-executed.” Project design consultant is Lappas + Havener, PA, Landscape Architects, Durham, NC.
The purpose of FSU’s Storm Water Master Plan is to assess how the campus and its infrastructure currently handles storm water and runoff, and how these processes can be managed in the future to handle storm water regulations, control costs and maintenance requirements, and improve the campus environment. As buildings and parking areas are added to the campus over time, the quantity of impervious areas on campus must be kept within certain limits in accordance with state storm water and drinking water regulations, and with the City of Fayetteville’s Storm Water Ordinance. In addition, each project will be designed to treat both the quality and quantity of runoff leaving the project site to specific established standards.
The following goals were developed by the project team:
- Ensure that FSU complies with storm water regulations according to state and local laws
- Exceed ordinance-mandated requirements where possible, in order to create a more sustainable campus and to promote flexibility in the event of future changes in storm water regulations
- Integrate storm water management into campus landscapes in a way that supports the educational and open space goals of the University; this will include sustainable design and interpretive elements
- Enable new construction projects on campus to fulfill their requirements while avoiding the siting of large ponds or detrimental landscape features in important campus areas
- Provide a framework for ongoing monitoring of campus impervious areas and storm water resources, and guidance for continuing operation of the storm water system
Some of the first examples of the University’s commitment to protecting and conserving one of earth’s most precious resources, water, can be seen in the form of storm water rain gardens at the Mitchell Building and Hood Hall parking lot and the nursing building’s parking lot. Also, a permeable paving system in the parking lots at Mitchell, Hood and Williams Hall, with more storm water best management practice projects, is in the planning stages. Other examples addressing storm water quantity in the form of underground detention and storage systems have been installed as part of Renaissance Hall and the Science and Technology Building projects.
FSU is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. A member of the University of North Carolina System, FSU has nearly 6,000 students and offers degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
For more information about the University’s SMP contact Jay Blauser at hblauser@uncfsu.edu or 910-672-1954 or for more general information about the subject visit the City of Fayetteville’s Storm Water Division website at http://www.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/stormwater/ or the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Division of Water Quality website at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/home.