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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Regular Meeting - August 20, 1993 <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) <br />b. continued... <br />Dave Whittlesey, J. F. New Associates, <br />explained the concept. He noted that all <br />developments must address the problem <br />of storm water retention. A wetland is a <br />shallow body of water which varies in <br />depth. Although storm water can be <br />directed to a wetland and allowed to <br />slowly drain through the soil, they are <br />proposing a system to both store and <br />treat storm water, a permanent body of <br />water where native wetland plants and <br />animals would thrive. This body of <br />water would be part of a park -like area <br />which would be an amenity to the site <br />and a place to both store and treat storm <br />water. <br />V, <br />Mr. Whittlesey explained that they have <br />included a small retention pond above <br />the wetland to help control the amount of <br />water that goes into the wetland during a <br />heavy storm. <br />The benefits of a wetland over a <br />traditional storm water retention basin <br />are: 1) the properties surrounding a <br />water amenity like a wetland are more <br />valuable; 2) surrounding developments <br />could direct their storm water to this <br />wetland and not need to use their own <br />land for a separate retention basin; 3) <br />lower maintenance cost; and 4) wetland <br />mitigation banking — creating a wetland <br />now which can be used to offset the <br />possible destruction of a wetland in the <br />future. Federal law mandates that new <br />wetlands be created to replace any that <br />-7- <br />