Some residents are concerned about plans to expand the parking lot at Homewood High School, as conversations about controlling stormwater runoff continue to take place throughout Homewood.
Melonie McBrayer, a longtime AP environmental science teacher, said she was concerned about the powerline easement acquired by Homewood City Schools turning into additional parking near Lakeshore Parkway. . The school system is also considering annexing the property at its multi-level parking garage, although that project has not been approved.
“None of us really knew anything about it,” McBrayer said. “It was a bit of a surprise.”
There are concerns that stripping land to build parking lots will increase stormwater runoff in areas where river embankments are collapsing, McBrayer said. Trees help absorb water, McBrayer said.
Merrick Wilson, director of communications for HCS, said the system will allow the Army Corps of Engineers and Spectrum Environmental to “evaluate proposed sites and potential impacts on nearby streams and wetlands.” I said it was.
That’s why the Army Corps of Engineers has granted permission to expand the parking lot, Wilson said. The school system is also mandated by city ordinances to ensure that stormwater runoff is not exacerbated by projects, she said.
“As part of the city’s permit requirements, the final design must ensure that the post-construction stormwater runoff rate is no greater than pre-development conditions,” Wilson said. “We are implementing underground rainwater harvesting to mitigate increased runoff from turning permeable surfaces into impermeable parking lots.”
City permits also require the school system to authorize the implementation of water quality measures, Wilson said.
Resident and landscape architect Bram Odresin said the timing of construction could affect salamander breeding and questioned what was done to prevent erosion.
Odresin said he wasn’t saying the school system was doing anything wrong, but noted that Homewood has seen an increase in flooding over the years. We are waiting for the results of the rainwater survey to help us plan for
“The storm will get stronger,” Odrezin said.
This is a problem for cities where pipes have collapsed, and adding more impermeable surfaces makes things worse, Odresin said.
“We’re starting to put ourselves in a bad position,” Odrezin said.
He said the city needs heavier infrastructure and the inability to address it in the past is now costing the city.
According to Odresin, the stream near the proposed parking lot is a breeding ground for salamanders, and cutting or damaging that channel could harm the salamander population.
McBrayer said there are also concerns about tiered parking plans that would cut into the hills and cut down existing pine trees. She said it robs us of the opportunity to delay the rain.
City and school systems shouldn’t pave all the land and should use low-impact designs, McBrayer said.
The project was due to be put up for bid in late October, after the November issue of The Homewood Star had closed for printing. The tiered parking project has not yet been approved, Wilson said.
