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City Panel Smart Planning Gulf Coast Green 2009, Houston, TexasTRANSCRIPT
HoustonFacing the Future
Smart Planning for Inevitable GrowthStormwater and Water Quality
The Challenge
o Population Growtho Development/Redevelopment
Pressureso Locationo Impervious Covero Drainage Infrastructure
o Changing Regulations
Existing Challenges
o Structural Floodingo Backlog of Infrastructure Improvementso Impaired Waterwayso Non-regulated dischargeso Enforcement staffing
Current Tools
o Design Standards and Land Use Restrictions
o Permitting/Investigation/Enforcemento Infrastructure Investmento Operations/Maintenance Practiceso Reporting and Education
Constraints
o Laws, Ordinances and Regulationso Existing Infrastructureo Topographyo Available Funding
Goal
It is the desire of the
City of Houston, the Bayou City,
to improve the quality of our waterways, at a minimum,
to meet the State of Texas
Water Quality standards.
Benefits
This goal has multiple benefits:o Assures the public that using our bayous and
waterways for recreation is “safe”o Enhances the environment and habitat for wildlife
including the nation’s largest migratory flywayo Reduces the costs of the water purification processo Improves aesthetics and overall quality of life
experience of residents and visitors
City Efforts
o Capital Investment – Comprehensive Drainage Plan/ Regional Detention
o MS4 Permit – Storm Water Management Program
o Total Maximum Daily Load Activities
City Efforts
o Operations/Maintenance Practiceso Revise Standards and Ordinanceso Public Educationo Green Building Resource Center
Regional Detention
o Multi-use Basins provide:o Reduced Risk of Flooding o Efficiencyo Opportunities for multiple partnerso Open Space and Parkso Water Quality Benefitso Ecosystem Benefits
Keith-Weiss Park
A 500 acre park with 112 acres of detention ponds, hike and bike trails, fishing piers, bridges, and wildlife and bird watching opportunities.
Green BuildingResource Center
o Free to the Publico Information on Green Building
Strategies:o Reduced energy consumptiono Water reuse and conservationo Healthier living and work spaces
Long Term Goals
o Challenge the “way we’ve always done it” mentality
o Engage the regulated community (developers, builders, residents, etc.)
o Address both Quantity and Quality
Long Term Goals
o Search out opportunities for incentives – enforcement isn’t the only tool
o Low Impact Development techniques can have significant water quality benefits
o Be willing to try or allow implementation of new concepts and applications
No single entity can protect
and heal our waterways –
it takes the
entire community
HoustonFacing the Future
Increasing City Infrastructures While Reducing Environmental
ImpactsInfill Development Tools
The Problem
The population is expected to grow by more
than one million people by 2020.
In order to have a sustainable city structure,
the city needs to develop or re-develop
under-utilized properties.
Solutions
INFILL DEVELOPMENT TOOLSBrownfields Redevelopment Program
Municipal Setting Designation (MSD)
Tax Increment Redevelopment Zones (TIRZs)
Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority
(LARA) and Houston Hope
BrownfieldsRedevelopment Program Improves the quality of life by promoting the beneficial
redevelopment of eligible property that have been hindered by the
presence of environmental contamination.
Often supported by Federal Programs.
The program can help eligible sites:
Identify potential environmental issues Assess the extent of the issue Cleanup or remove the issue (limited cases) Redevelop the Brownfield in a beneficial manner
What are Brownfields Abandoned Buildings, Former Commercial Or Manufacturing Sites, Vacant Lots, Or Other Types Of Property
Who is Eligible Properties that will be redevelopment in a manner that will benefit
the community, such as: Housing For The Elderly Or Disadvantaged New Businesses That Create Jobs Or Shopping Opportunities Parks
Success Stories
Since September 2005, 24 new sites have come into the Program.17 will become park space,2 will provide affordable housing,1 will provide housing for the elderly, 1 will become an educational organic garden, 1 will become a hotel/resort, and 2 are City-owned properties that will be
cleaned up and sold for development.
Municipal SettingDesignation (MSD) The Texas legislature authorized Municipal Setting Designations in
2003/Houston City Council passed enabling legislation in 2006. An MSD specifies that the contaminated groundwater under an
individual parcel, is prohibited from use as drinking water.
Why Support a MSD It protects the public from drinking the contaminated groundwater It encourages cleanup of contaminated sites through participation
in a State or Federal program It promotes redevelopment of under-utilized properties
Why Prohibit Drinking Water Use
State regulations require contaminated groundwater to be cleaned up to the strict levels that allow future drinking water use.
However, if no one is using the groundwater, and another source of drinking water is available, the MSD statute allows alternative cleanup levels.
What must the site do Participate in a state or federal clean-up program Request City support of MSD application If City supports, site submit application to TCEQ TCEQ grants or denies MSD If MSD granted by TCEQ, City files restriction on property deed
Success Stories
Houston Pavilion, a downtown entertainment, retail, and office complex
Value Place, an extended stay hotel chain opened on Sam Houston Parkway
Redevelopment Authority These are local government corporations that get their powers from
the Texas Transportation Code CH. 431; They have the power to:
issue bonds and notes; hire consultants (legal, financial, engineering); and, work with developers to further the TIRZ's goals and objectives
Current TIRZs Currently, the City has twenty-two TIRZs, 15 were city-initiated 7 initiated through the petition process
TIRZ
Special districts created by City Council to attract new investment to an area.
Taxes attributable to new improvements (tax increment) are set-aside in a fund to finance public improvements in that zone.
Reasons for a TIRZ
To address inner city infrastructure needs Unique neighborhoods needs To fully engage local community in a planning process
How they work New construction in a zone produces an incremental
increase in tax revenue above the base amount. The incremental tax revenue is returned to the zone for
projects associated with public improvements of the zone for the duration of the zone.
Eligible Project Costs
capital costs (the acquisition and construction, and building rehabilitation costs); financing costs (including all interest); real property assembly; relocation costs; professional services; and, creation, organization and administrative costs
TIRZ Powers land use controls; design standards (in special cases); recommendations for the administration of the zone; and, powers to implement a project and financing plan
Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority LARA is a 13-member board appointed by the Mayor,
City Council, Harris County and the Houston Independent School District.
LARA acquires tax delinquent properties and then develops them as truly affordable homes.
Foreclosed lots in designated neighborhoods are made available to participating builders through LARA.
The builders work with Houston Hope or Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) to build affordable housing
Houston Hope
Helps qualified low to moderate income homebuyers secure a mortgage loan from an Affordable Lending Partner
Help with Down-Payment Assistance up to $37,500.
Success Stories Houston HOPE has helped hundreds of families to own quality
affordable homes in re-energized areas of the city And closed 130 homes in 2008 and provided $3.2 millions in down
payment assistance
Infill Development Tools Help evaluate potential contaminated sites Help cleanup and redevelopment of
contaminated sites Help improve infrastructure by keeping new
tax revenues in its zone Help redevelop historic neighborhoods by
replacing tax delinquent and not repairable properties with new construction
Help new qualified homebuyers purchase homes
HoustonFacing the Future
Increasing City Infrastructure While Reducing Environmental
ImpactsElectricity and Water
The Problem
Houston’s population is expected to grow by more than one million people by 2020.
City infrastructure needs to grow with the population.
We need to continue to reduce environmental impacts while facilitating growth.
Solutions
PlanStart building infrastructure now for future
needs Conserve
Maintain and optimize existing resources Repair
Identify and fix problems
Water and Electricity These two mainstays of modern life are
interconnected. Power is required to produce high-quality
drinking water and to provide it to customers throughout Houston.
Power is required to collect and treat wastewater from customers across the city.
Water and Electricity
Drinking Water and Wastewater operations consume nearly half of the power used by the City government.
Energy costs account for approximately 20% of typical water/wastewater operating costs, and nearly 10% of the total bill.
Water is integral to the electric generation process.
One of the main uses of water in the power industry is to cool the power-producing equipment.
This water cools the equipment, but gets too hot to be released back into the environment.
The hot cooling-water is cooled in very large cooling towers and evaporation occurs and water is lost.
Electricity and Water
Electricity and Water
Production of electrical power is one of the largest uses of water in Texas.
Texas power plants withdraw over 13,000 million gallons per day*.
That’s the volume of Lake Houston every 4 days.
* USGS
Water/ WastewaterEnergy Usage
WasteWater
▬348
MillionkWh
In 2007
DrinkingWater
▬
241MillionkWh
In 2007
Water/ WastewaterEnergy Usage
Drinking Water Operations
Optimizing water levels in clear wells to increase pump efficiency.
Use less water to make water – more efficient backwash of filters and sludge thickeners saves power, water, and chemicals.
Use solar powered circulators in Lake Houston.
More Examples
Providing drinking water from surface water uses 1/3 less electricity than from groundwater.
Decommissioning inefficient and redundant groundwater plants also saves electricity. 19 groundwater treatment plants and 27 wells have
been decommissioned. 25 groundwater treatment plants and 43 wells are
scheduled for decommissioning over the next five years.
Wastewater OperationsGroup Aggressively looks for opportunities to
reduce electrical energy consumption. It is a standard practice to:
replace regular motors with high efficiency motors for pumps, blowers, and mixers
replace/retrofit old-type aeration systems with high efficiency systems
Examples Participate in the “Energy Share Load
Management Program” offered by CenterPoint Energy
Replace motors on 24 Recycle Activated Sludge pumps and 4 influent lift station pumps with Variable Frequency Drives.
Upgrade 64 conventional aeration mixers with high efficiency mixers and motors.
A new, high efficiency, fine bubble aeration system will be installed at the Southwest WWTP
More Examples A Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system is
in the design stage for the Almeda Sims sludge drying facility.
CHP is being considered for the 69th Street Wastewater Treatment Plant (the City’s largest plant).
The city is participating in the Clinton Foundation Project which is evaluating all Wastewater Treatment Plants in the city for energy savings.
Examples from the City The City will use the Clinton Climate
Initiative’s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program on 271 facilities, which will save more than 20 percent in utility and operating costs annually.
Install a 100-kilowatt solar energy system on the roof of the downtown George R. Brown Convention Center. A pilot program will install about half of the system in 2009.
More
Replace traffic signals with LED lights to save electricity.
Initiated a weatherization program as part of our neighborhood revitalization campaign. This program will improve the energy efficiency of homes in inner city neighborhoods.
Other Methods
Commercial Energy Conservation CodeNew code took effect August 1, 2008 Minimum requirements for the energy-efficient
design of all buildings except low-rise residential buildings.
More Stringent than the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
Energy Conservation Reducing electrical usage in throughout
water and wastewater systems. Using solar power for George R. Brown and
Lake Houston circulators. Replace traffic lights with LED lights. Helping neighborhoods weatherize their
homes. Develop stringent energy conservation
codes.
Questions?