Climate Change Resilience –
An Inland Town’s Approach
AMWS Annual Meeting
December 4, 2020
Susan D. Chapnick, M.S., Chair, Arlington Conservation
Commission & President, New Environmental Horizons, Inc.
Nathaniel Stevens, Esq., Arlington Conservation Commission
Senior Associate, McGregor & Legere, P.C.
Emily Sullivan, Environmental Planner & Conservation Agent
Town of Arlington, MA
Arlington, MA
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Impacts of Climate Change
– extreme heat
– precipitation
– storm surges and
rising water levels
– storm events or
extreme weather
events
– droughts
Mill Brook - Arlington
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An Inland Town’s Approach Climate Change Resilience
– Flood control
– Storm damage
prevention &
protection
– Vegetation / habitat
resilience
Alewife Brook Wetlands – Arlington/Cambridge
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How Did We Get Here?
Arlington’s Wetlands Regulations &
MVP Process were pivotal
▪ The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness
(MVP) Program
– Grant program: provides support for cities and
towns to plan for climate change resiliency and
implementing priority projects
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Arlington’s MVP Workshop Findings
Top Hazards
▪ Extreme heat
▪ Storm surge
& sea level rise
▪ Heavy rainfall
▪ Winter storms
(snow & ice)
▪ Drought
▪ Wind
Resilience Recommendations
▪ Multi-benefit solutions (Mill Brook)
▪ Green infrastructure to address
heat and flooding
▪ Incorporate resilience into big
municipal projects
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Arlington’s
Wetlands Regulations
Definitions:
– Impacts of Climate Change
– Adaptation and Resilience
– Extreme Weather Event
Standards:
– Storm-water management / Compensatory
flood storage / vegetation replacement
www.arlingtonma.gov/conservation
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Four Specific Areas
1. Design considerations to limit storm and flood
damage
2. Stormwater surface runoff mitigation and
reduction of impervious surfaces
3. Vegetation planting plans to improve resiliency
4. Protection of proposed structures to minimize
damage from potential climate change impacts
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Specific Regulations
– Compensatory flood storage
2:1 ratio for each unit volume of flood storage lost at each
elevation
– Vegetation
Trees require 2:1 or 3:1 replacement
– Adjacent Upland Resource Area (AURA)
Area 100 feet horizontally lateral from the boundary
of any of the Resource Areas.
AURA is its own resource area
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AURA Regulations
▪ The AURA is significant to: wildlife, habitat,
water supply, flood control, storm damage
prevention, pollution prevention, erosion
control, and to mitigation of potential
climate change impacts.
▪ No activities within the first 25 feet
▪ No new structures within the first 50 feet
▪ No increase in Impervious Surface
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Stormwater Management
Stormwater Calculations
Existing and proposed
runoff conditions
Narrative: project’s
impact on climate
change resilience of the
resource area.
Use NOAA 14+ method
for stormwater
calculations
Town of Arlington – Mass Ave 2017
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Regulations: Stormwater (SW) Standards
MA SW Standards (2008)
SW Bylaw-Major/Minor
Permits
Wetlands Bylaw
Comply with SW
Management Standards
/ improve existing
conditions
Major Permit: > 1,000 sq
ft increase impervious
Minor Permit: 350-1000
sq ft increase impervious
All projects in resource
areas that propose
increase in impervious
surfaces
Infiltrate required
recharge volume using
LID, BMPs, O&M
LID BMPs + climate
change resilience
improvements
Reference Bylaw + Climate
Change Resilience Stds
Remove 80% TSS
Remove 90% TSS
Remove 60% TPhos
Reference Bylaw
Commensurate with size
Operation &
Maintenance Plan
(O&M)
O&M Plan for Major
Permits
Reference Bylaw + may
require O&M for smaller
projects
Illicit discharges
prohibited
Prohibits illicit
connections &
discharges to MS4
Reference Bylaw
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Example 1: Residential Project
Resource Areas:
▪ AURA
▪ BVW & Land Under Waterbodies (Spy Pond)
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Climate Change Resilience
▪ Climate Change Resilience compliance:
– Project design to limit storm & flood
damage
– Stormwater management / pollution
control
– Vegetation / Planting Plans to improve
resiliency of wildlife habitat and to
extreme temperature
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Climate Change Resilience Attributes
▪ Design considerations / Stormwater
management
▪ Collect all roof runoff to cultec system sized for
100-year storm event
▪ Pollution prevention due to surface runoff
▪ Mitigation to improve habitat resilience / erosion
control / pollution prevention
▪ Buffer zone native planting area
▪ Vegetation – 890 sq ft native planting buffer
strip within 25’ of Spy Pond
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Example 2: Commercial Project
2 Garden Street Commercial Building
Resource Areas:
▪ 200’ Riverfront
▪ 100’ Buffer & AURA
▪ BLSF
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Climate Change Attributes
▪ Porous pavement
▪ Water quality
improvement: TSS
removal 82%
▪ Vegetation replacement
▪ Compensatory Flood
Storage: 2:1
▪ Decrease in impervious
surfaces
▪ Porous pavement
▪ Water quality
improvement?
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Example 3: Municipal Project
“Implement multi-benefit
solutions along Mill Brook”
▪ Flood mitigation and storage
▪ Engagement and education
of private landowners
▪ Recreational uses
▪ ADA improvements
▪ Water quality
▪ Invasive plant removal and
native plant replacement
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Initial Park Conditions
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Resilience Opportunities
▪
▪
▪
▪
Flooding
Invasive vegetation removal / replacement
Bank erosion
Access issues
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Flood Storage
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Wellington Park: Construction
Integrate considerations of adaptation planning into the
project to promote climate change resilience to protect
and promote resource area values into the future
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Flood Storage Channel
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Educational Signage
Photo Credit: David Mussina
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Success: Mill Brook Restoration
Summer 2020
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Best Practices
▪ Consider the power of local efforts
▪ Build Resilience to Flooding: Pilot studies to
decrease flooding / 2:1 flood storage
▪ Nature-Based Solutions: Tree / Vegetation
replacement, invasive plant control,
bioretention basins, buffer strips
▪ Improve Community Access: Strategic use of
engineered materials to improve access
▪ Engage the Community: Educational signage
towards promoting climate science
▪ Leverage funding & Collaboration: local / state
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Q&A / Contact Info
Susan D. Chapnick, M.S.
Chair, Arlington Conservation Commission
President & Principal Scientist, New Environmental Horizons
2 Farmers Cir, Arlington, MA 02474
Ph: 781-643-4294 / Email: schapnick@neh-inc.com
Nathaniel Stevens, Esq.
Arlington Conservation Commission
Senior Associate, McGregor & Legere, P.C.
15 Court Square – Suite 500, Boston, MA 02108
Ph: 857-449-2217 / Email: nstevens@mcgregorlaw.com
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