Slide 31 of 36
Notes:
The public involvement aspect of the process is critical if a project is ever to be constructed. A successful project must involve the immediate neighbors who will be affected by the changed conditions. Nearly all retrofits require significant modifications to the existing environment. A dry detention pond, for example, is for some a very desirable area in the community. It is a place to walk the dog and only rarely is there any water in the facility. A wet pond or stormwater wetland retrofit, on the other hand, may have large expanses of water and may have highly variable water fluctuations. Adjacent owners may resist these changes. In order to gain citizen acceptance of retrofits they must be involved in the process from the start and throughout the planning, design and implementation process. Citizens who are informed about the need for, and benefits of, retrofitting are more likely to accept projects.
Still, some citizens and citizen organizations will never support a particular project. This is why it is mandatory that there is an overall planning process which identifies projects early and allows citizen input before costly field surveys and engineering are performed. Projects that cannot satisfy citizen concerns may need to be dropped from further consideration.
A good retrofit program must also incorporate a good public relations plan. Slide shows or field trips to existing projects can be powerful persuasions to skeptical citizens. Every site that goes forward to final design and permitting should be presented at least once to the public.