HOLLIDAYSBURG — Stricter stormwater management regulations were recommended by the Hollidaysburg Planning Commission as a part of an amendment to the borough’s subdivision and land development ordinance.

The borough’s stormwater regulations are outlined in its subdivision and land development ordinance, so when the Department of Environmental updates its regulations, the borough must update its ordinance, Director of Planning and Zoning/Code Enforcement Gerald Harbison said.

In certain areas, the DEP’s regulations can be updated to “reflect conditions in the borough, he said.

One option could include riparian buffers, a forest buffer “adjacent to a stream, lake, or wetland that contains a combination of trees, shrubs, and/or other perennial plants … primarily to provide conservation benefits,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Riparian buffers typically grade out the banks of a stream or river to give it “the opportunity to spread out but not flood,” Borough Manager James Gehret said.

The ordinance proposes the borough require riparian buffers either 35 feet from a public stream bank or within the limits of a 100-year floodplain, said Stiffler McGraw Vice President Greg Geishauser.

“If we look at a flood map of the borough, the point between North Juniata Street and Route 22 is a lot of floodplain,” Geishauser said. “Gaysport is a lot of floodplain. So, you would essentially be eliminating any chance of development within those areas.”

Committee member Andy Haines said that by keeping the riparian buffers in the ordinance, they wouldn’t necessarily be preventing development.

“There’s a lot of banks and investors that will not finance a project in a 100-year floodplain,” Haines said.

Another option would be to have the minimum amount of land developed before needing to meet stormwater regulations reduced from one acre (43,560 square feet) to 5,000 square feet.

From zero to 5,000 square feet, no regulations would need to be met, said Committee Chair Joseph Stanek. From 5,001 square feet to one acre, some regulations would kick in, and anything above one acre would need borough approval.

The committee unanimously agreed to the amended ordinance, including both optional conditions.

The committee’s recommendations will now be sent to the Blair County Planning Commission for review, after which the amended ordinance will be sent to the Hollidaysburg Borough Council for final approval.

“The county planning commission I believe gets 45 days to review it so whenever it gets there, that clock starts ticking,” Harbison said.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.