Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 6, 1995 TAG: 9503060011
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Montgomery County residents Mike and Tana Matzuk are all too familiar with the phenomenon of storm-water runoff. In 1981, they moved into a house along tiny Slate Branch, which drains the U.S. 460/Virginia 114 corridor area about four or five miles away before emptying into the New River.
``For the first several years, we had nary a problem,'' Mike says. Then New River Valley Mall was built, and the Matzuks noticed their creek swell to almost whitewater-rafting potential during rainstorms.
Then Market Square was built, and the creek started flooding their land regularly, destroying their bridge - their only access to the house. Then a Kmart went up, and some more restaurants, and a car lot and grocery store, so that now every time there's a sudden storm, the Matzuks take turns moving their car across the bridge to the road before the storm-water runoff comes rushing down Slate Branch a couple of hours later, leaving them stranded.
They've spent thousands of dollars fixing the bridge and written scads of letters to local officials. The thing is, the developers apparently are meeting all the erosion- and sediment-control standards, Matzuk says.
``Our main concern is that development is occurring without much concern for what's happening downstream,'' he says. Each site plan meets the rules and passes through, but there seems to be no regard for the cumulative impact.
Matzuk puts his finger on the crux of the problem, says Wayne Strickland, director for the Fifth Planning District Commission.
``You can't say what impact one housing development has on the ozone,'' he says. ``Every time you disturb the ground, you're going to have runoff. Every time you build a house and have cars, you're going to have a little pollution. I guess it's incremental.''
by CNB