St. Petersburg wants engineers to consider rain gardens, living shorelines and other natural features before settling on traditional pipes, pumps and concrete for public infrastructure projects.
City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday supporting the Resilient by Nature program, an effort to make natural approaches a routine consideration when planning and designing city projects.
The move follows weeks of discussion about how vegetation, soil and other natural features could help manage stormwater, slow erosion and reduce flooding without replacing the drainage systems the city relies on during heavy storms.
Under an administrative policy being developed by city staff, engineers would evaluate natural alternatives and document their findings before choosing conventional construction methods. The policy would apply to new construction and reconstruction of city facilities and infrastructure, but not routine maintenance or replacement of existing equipment.
The city could still choose traditional construction when natural features are impractical, too expensive or unable to provide adequate protection.
St. Petersburg already has examples of the approach.
At Maximo Park, concrete oyster reef structures installed along the shoreline help break up waves and slow erosion. Sustainability and Resilience Director Maeven Rogers pointed to the project during a September council committee meeting as an example of how smaller improvements can protect waterfront property.
Near 7th Street and 50th Avenue N., the city is incorporating landscaped drainage areas into stormwater improvements. The vegetation and soil are designed to filter pollutants from runoff before the water reaches Tampa Bay.
The new policy would encourage departments to look for similar opportunities as they plan roads, drainage systems, sidewalks and other improvements.
Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd requested the original discussion in July, seeking a written commitment that the city would routinely consider natural approaches when planning infrastructure projects.
The proposal also addresses a problem city officials raised in September: keeping natural features maintained after they are installed.
Rogers said the city already has locations where it could plant more trees but lacks the labor to water and maintain them. Under the proposed policy, each nature-based improvement would need an identified maintenance responsibility, funding source and inspection schedule.
Natural features also have limits. Rain gardens and similar systems generally handle smaller amounts of runoff, while conventional drainage infrastructure is needed to move large volumes of water during heavy storms.
The city’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience will lead development of the implementation plan, with input from other departments and a citizen advisory committee that council also approved Thursday.
The resolution did not authorize specific construction projects or allocate additional funding.
Councilmember Gina Driscoll, who pushed during earlier discussions for city departments to consider natural features at the beginning of every project, welcomed the direction.
“I think it’s really exciting to be able to say we are a city that’s going to take nature-based approaches seriously and to think of that first as we move forward,” Driscoll said.