The City of Port Angeles is pleased to announce the completion of the City Hall East Parking Lot Low Impact Development (LID) Project. This largely grant-funded initiative will significantly improve stormwater management at City Hall and contribute to cleaner downstream waterways. It also sets a new standard for future development on the Olympic Peninsula with consideration for on-site stormwater management.
Why Stormwater Management Matters
Stormwater runoff occurs when rain falls on impermeable surfaces like roads and parking lots, preventing it from soaking into the ground. As this runoff flows, it picks up pollutants which then enter local waterways and cause adverse environmental impacts.
Low Impact Development (LID) is a sustainable approach to stormwater management. Unlike traditional storm drains and pipes that quickly collect and transport runoff—often damaging stream channels and degrading water quality—LID techniques emphasis the use of green infrastructure like permeable pavements, bioretention swales, and rain gardens to slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater on-site.
Key Benefits of This Project
- Improved Stormwater Management: The installation of rainwater cisterns, permeable pavement, and two bioretention cells (one in the grassy area outside of City Hall and another on Peabody Street) allow stormwater runoff to be detained and treated by passing it through engineered soils. In doing so, this significantly reduces the loading on the City’s stormwater collection system during storm events, as well as the downstream impact to Peabody Creek.
- Cleaner Local Waterways: The bioretention cells will collectively treat over 500,000 gallons of runoff each year, removing pollutants like zinc, copper, petroleum and tire wear before they reach Peabody Creek and the Port Angeles Harbor.
- Improved Parking Lot Surface: The parking lot, a space utilized for events throughout the year, has been resurfaced, eliminating issues caused by wash boarding and providing a smoother, safer area for staff and public use.
“This unique project demonstrates how a parking lot can be built in a sustainable way that improves water quality in our urban creeks,” says City Engineer Jonathan Boehme.
Not only does this work address stormwater management, it also serves as a valuable educational tool for the community and local developers. By showcasing LID techniques, this project offers a model for how LID can be implemented to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements associated with new and re-development projects.
"I am so very happy with the way this project turned out. For years to come, the runoff from this rather large parking facility will be treated for contaminants prior to entering the receiving waters of Peabody Creek, thus improving the creek’s water quality and health.” says Public Works & Utilities Director Mike Healy. “A big thank you to our dedicated staff, and to our contractor Bruch and Bruch Construction, Inc., for their hard work throughout this project. We are also very grateful to the Department of Ecology for making this possible.”
The City Hall East Parking Lot LID Project was made possible through a $1.43 million dollar grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, which covered 89% of the total project costs.
To learn more about this project and its impact, please contact the Public Works & Utilities Department at publicworks@cityofpa.us or visit www.cityofpa.us/Projects.
The East City Hall Low Impact Development Parking Lot Project incorporates green stormwater strategies to improve stormwater runoff quality and quantity.
Bioretention cells were installed in the grassy area outside of City Hall and on Peabody Street to collectively treat and remove pollutants from over 500,000 gallons of stormwater runoff each year.