York Town News
Following the streams: using waterways to plan for York's future
By Jennifer L. Saunders
This map shows the streams in York that are currently unregulated with regard to land use and development. Jon Discher of the Planning Department reported recently that, overall, York's waterways are in good condition, but there is still work to be done.
Map courtesy of York GIS Manager Brett Horr
YORK - While this year's Mother's Day flood may have occurred more than six months ago, its implications were fresh on the minds of those taking time to learn more about watershed zoning and protecting the town's streams and rivers.
The Planning Department hosted a public forum on the results of that effort on Tuesday, Nov 28, and approximately 20 local residents and members of land use planning and conservation groups gathered at the York Public Library to hear the report on riparian corridors and discuss the next step.
Town Planner Steve Burns introduced Jon Discher of the Planning Department, who has been at work studying the town's various stream corridors to determine which are currently protected and to propose recommendations for the future.
The goal of York zoning is to be watershed based, Burns explained, adding that the Planning Department's work on flood prevention actually began before the May event that resulted in millions of dollars of damage to buildings, bridges and roadways.
Watershed based zoning, he explained "is to control impacts watershed by watershed by watershed."
For example, stormwater flooding at York Beach does not happen in a vacuum, and watershed based zoning allows the town's planners to look at the implications of impacts in one area of a watershed for another, as well as on water quality.
Burns explained that working toward watershed zoning does not mean throwing out the current zoning, as portions are based on the location and character of village centers that have been in place for centuries, and because there are some good regulations currently in place in terms of water regulation.
From water quality to preventing floods, Discher then explained that the health of the land areas surrounding the town's streams - the riparian corridors - is "very important for the town of York in general."
In total, there are eight watersheds in the town: the Ogunquit, Josias, Cape Neddick, Great Works and York Rivers and the north, central and south coastal watersheds, Discher explained, with first- through fourth order streams, based on the number of contributing water bodies.
The York River is the only fourth-order stream in town, he said.
"You really get a sense of all the smaller streams that contribute" to such waterways as the York River and Cape Neddick River, he said. "… The bulk of the stream miles in the town of York are, in fact, first-order streams."
With the assistance of Geographical Information Systems Manager Brett Horr, the forum featured maps illustrating the connections of small streams to the town's rivers and the ocean itself.
"Overall, in the town of York, 89 percent the riparian buffers remain intact," Discher said, but added the fourth-order York River watershed is the least intact, with similar issue prevalent for the third-order Cape Neddick River.
That, he said, reflects the development pressure in York for house lots with a view.
Additionally, there are approximately 115,000 feet of unregulated first-order streams. Approximately 1,300 feet or so of second-order streams are currently not regulated, and must be by state law.
Discher's recommendations include protecting those second-order streams and beginning discussions on whether the town should move to protect first-order streams as well.
"These first-order streams that are in mostly the western part of town … as population moves, consideration should be given as to whether or not those should be regulated," he said, adding most are currently located in unpopulated areas.
The town's zoning must be updated by June 2008, and Maine DEP is encouraging regulation of first-order streams, Burns noted, adding that such regulations will have an impact on property owners, based on the number of streams in town and the addition or increase of natural buffers.
There is a good reason to protect lower-order streams, Discher said, as they have a significant impact on water quality in general.
"That's where it all starts, with the first-order streams," he said.
During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, those who attended discussed development pressures, the town's Comprehensive Plan and working with neighboring communities to protect riparian corridors that extend from one town to another. Audience members also suggested superimposing the new information compiled by Discher onto existing town zoning maps to create visual references.
At this point, Discher said, he has now begun his study of the town's impervious surface.
"In fact, 3.5 percent of the town of York is covered with impervious surface," he said, adding he is in the preliminary review phase and more information will be forthcoming.
For more on the work of the Planning Department, visit www.yorkmaine.org,
