Politics & Government

Ellicott City Church First to Receive Stormwater Partnership Money

The county will provide a $145,000 grant to the church to manage its stormwater and avoid paying a $7,000 annual fee.


An Ellicott City Church will receive $145,000 in grant funding to build three bioretention areas on its 7.5 acre property to manage stormwater as part of a new partnership established by Howard County.

The partnership with Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church is the first in the county's Watershed Protection Partnership Program, which is funded by stormwater fees paid by county residents and businesses.

The church would have been responsible for paying an annual stormwater fee of $7,155 due to its 5.5 acres of impervious surface, according to the county. However, with the new improvements the church will be charged nothing.

Legislation passed by the County Council over the summer created the stormwater fees, which set standard rates for residential properties of varying sizes. The fees for businesses, including nonprofits and churches, are based on the square footage of impervious surface. The fees are scheduled to appear on tax bills this December.

"What makes Howard County's program unique is that we are not just waiving fees for non-profits and religious institutions," said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, in a statement. "We are making sure they do their part to keep the environment clean."

Critics of stormwater fees refer to the new program as the "rain tax." The nine most populous counties and Baltimore City were required by the state legislature to implement a stormwater fee program, although it was left up to the counties to determine how to do it.

The partnership program provides a way for nonprofits to avoid paying the annual fee, while also managing the properties' stormwater, according to the county.

“Churches are deep in spiritual resources, but not necessarily financial resources,” said William Jin, Pastor of Bethel Korean Presbyterian, in a statement.  “This program allows us to care for the land and help the community.”

The Bethel church property is significant because it sits at the headwaters of the Tiber-Hudson River, according to Lori Lilley, a planner with the Center for Watershed Protection who worked on design for the church project.

Flooding caused by the Tiber-Hudson watershed overflowing caused hundreds of thousands of dollars to Ellicott City's West End and Main Street in 2011. Ulman said this project will help to prevent flooding downstream in those areas, according to a Howard County Times report.

Last month, the county sent notices to all the nonprofits and religious institutions in the county to advise them of the partnership program. So far about 90 owners, representing more than 120 properties have agreed to take part, according to a county press release.

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