Low Impact Development Manual for Michigan - OSEH - University ...

How to use this manual
There are numerous organizations, industries, communities,
professionals, and individuals who have an
interest in designing and implementing low impact
development practices in Michigan. To proactively
manage stormwater and protect water quality, it will
take the support of all stakeholders involved to successfully
communicate, coordinate, and to put LID methods
into practice. Although the entire manual is of use to
everyone involved in this process, the chapters that may
be of the most interest to a given stakeholder are identified
in the descriptions below.
Elected officials
Role in LID: Elected officials play an important role by
deciding on the extent to which LID will be implemented
in their community. Elected officials set the policy. In
addition, municipal boards and councils can choose
to require the use of LID practices through appropriate
ordinances and procedures for a given community.
Elected officials need to know that LID is practical,
fiscally feasible, and that performance measures can be
achieved.
How to use the manual: Elected officials can use
Chapters 1 and 2 to learn the LID basics and Chapter 4
to learn the integrated process of LID that includes
community planning, site planning, and gaining support
for LID.
Towar Rain Gardens, City of East Lansing, MI
Source: Fitzgerald Henne and Associates, Inc.
This LID development at Western Michigan University offers
additional benefits such as providing habitat, recreational
trails, and improved quality of life.
Source: Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.
Planning Commissions
Role in LID: Planning commissioners have numerous
opportunities to encourage implementation of LID in
their community. First, the planning commission typically
updates and adopts the community’s master plan.
Incorporating LID into the master plan would be an
important step in implementing LID in the community.
The planning commission also reviews new development
proposals and proposes language for zoning
ordinances. The commission can ensure that zoning
and development ordinances allow the use of LID
techniques, write LID requirements into ordinances as
appropriate for their community, and encourage developers
to use LID concepts.
How to use the manual: Like elected officials, the planning
commission can use Chapters 1 and 2 to learn the
LID basics. In addition, as reviewers of site plans in the
community, planning commissioners should be familiar
with Chapters 4 and 5 for help with including LID
techniques in master plans and for review of site plans.
Depending on the level of review by the commission,
planning commissioners may need to be familiar with
specific design criteria found in Chapters 6 and 7.
Staff Planners/Planning Consultants
Role in LID: Staff planners and/or planning consultants
have multiple avenues for encouraging LID implementation
in their community. Often it is the staff personnel
that meet early on with the development community to
LID Manual for Michigan – Chapter 1 Page 3