Biltmore Hills Park Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Biltmore Hills Park sits in the Biltmore Hills neighborhood upstream from Rochester Heights. Both have historic value as the first Black planned developments in Raleigh. Residents near Rochester Heights Creek face frequent nuisance flooding. Heavy rain flows from the park into the creek, contributing to flooding, streambank erosion, and sedimentation. This impacts aquatic wildlife, water quality, and residents’ health and finances when homes are flooded.
Our Plan
Several partners have united to address the issue by designing and installing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects to reduce stormwater runoff from Biltmore Hills Park. Together this project will help reduce erosion, reduce Rochester Heights Creek’s flow, reduce pollution and stormwater flows that contribute to flooding.
GSI Definition
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a nature-based solution to environmental issues at many scales, including forests, wetlands, and streamside buffers. This can include rain gardens, green roofs, or tree plantings for example.
GSI Plans
At Biltmore Hills Park, GSI include a bioretention swale at the community center to reduce runoff from the roof, bioretention by the community pool to control runoff from the parking lot, and cisterns to harvest and re-use rainwater.
Timeline and Funding
The Biltmore Hills Park project is funded by an EPA 319 grant, which support projects to address non-point source pollution in impaired watersheds, and with City of Raleigh cost-sharing funds. The project began in 2021. A new NC Department of Justice Ecosystem Enhancement Grant (EEG) has been received to help fund installation of the Biltmore Hills Park GSI project. Additionally, the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Biltmore Hills Park GSI installation will be released in June 2023, with construction anticipated to start in Fall 2023.
Partners
- Biltmore Hills Park
- City of Raleigh Stormwater
- City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation
- NC State Students, Faculty and Staff
Community Involvement
The Stewardship Crew invited community members to a rainwater event to discuss the Biltmore Hills Park changes to support downstream neighbors and City of Raleigh programs and funds for residents!
Rainwater Event Resources
- City of Raleigh’s Rainwater Rewards provides grants for projects raleighnc.gov/stormwater/apply-raleigh-rainwater-rewards
- City of Raleigh Drainage Assistance Program for
addressing flooding and erosion
raleighnc.gov/stormwater/drainage-assistance-program - City of Raleigh Stream Stabilization Program
raleighnc.gov/stormwater/stream-stabilization-program - WRRI’s Rainscaping Guidebook is a “how to” for
several projects such as rain gardens and plantings
Go.ncsu.edu/rainscaping
Meet the Trees! This tree guide contains many of the trees you can find at Biltmore Hills Park. Explore the park and see how many you can identify!
If you would like to contribute to the project or get more information on whats happening, email Christy Perrin.