The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), in collaboration with the University of Florida IFAS and Volusia County, is excited to share materials developed to help local governments incorporate Low Impact Development (LID) best management practices and incentives into local ordinances to facilitate LID in site planning and stormwater management. As our region strives for sustainable development practices, it is essential to prioritize low-impact strategies to mitigate flooding and improve water quality while accommodating the needs of our growing communities.

 

The LID grant project, funded by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO),  created two documents: LID Ordinance Recommendations and LID Implementation Guidebook. Policy and code research along with lessons learned during the process of creating the ordinance recommendations are presented in the LID Implementation Guidebook (Guidebook).  Implementation in the Guidebook is twofold, addressing LID projects and the mechanisms to allow for LID within a jurisdiction. The LID Ordinance Recommendations and Guidebook are intended to be used primarily by local government staff, advisory committees, and other appointed and elected officials who are considering the implementation of a LID Ordinance. The companion documents aim to support LID integration across not only the East Central Florida region but also the state of Florida.

 

The project used the regional roundtable findings, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and feedback from the Volusia County Environmental and Natural Resources Advisory Committee (ENRAC) to draft LID Ordinance recommendations, a LID Ordinance template, and companion LID Implementation Guidebook.