The Village of Pinehurst has adopted coordinated updates intended to strengthen stormwater management, control construction-related erosion and improve protections in regulated flood-hazard areas.
The Village Council approved the measures during its September 22 meeting. The package includes revisions to the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, updates to the Engineering Standards and Specifications Manual and amendments addressing erosion and sediment from construction sites.
Flood maps are not changing
Village officials emphasized that the updated ordinance does not change Pinehurst’s existing federal flood-insurance maps or add properties to mapped flood-hazard areas.
The ordinance continues to require applicable construction to be elevated or floodproofed two feet above the base flood elevation. It also retains the existing threshold used to determine whether work qualifies as a substantial improvement or whether a structure has sustained substantial damage.
New development must address runoff
Updated engineering standards will require new developments to evaluate stormwater runoff before and after construction for 2-year, 10-year and 25-year storm events.
The standards also establish operation and maintenance requirements for stormwater infrastructure and update technical requirements involving streets, utilities, sidewalks, greenways and fire flow.
Construction-site erosion addressed
Municipal-code amendments give Pinehurst additional tools to address sediment and runoff leaving active construction sites. Those conditions can affect neighboring properties, streets, drainage systems and other public infrastructure.
For most residents, the changes will not affect routine maintenance or ordinary activities at an existing home. The requirements primarily apply to regulated flood-hazard areas, new subdivisions, commercial developments, development-related infrastructure and qualifying construction projects.
Sources: Sandhills Sentinel and the Village of Pinehurst.
