Bats, Balls, and a BMP: An Intergovernmental Project Produces Regional Benefits

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Discussions between York County and Newport News Waterworks (NNWW) officials to identify a potential site to develop an athletic field complex began in 1999. NNWW, which is owned and operated by the City of Newport News, it one of the largest landowners in the county and provides water for a multijurisdictional region of over 400,000 people. In addition to its sizable land holdings, some parcels were ideally located to the population base needing to be served by additional fields. Because of these factors, NNWW was invited and agreed to partner with York County on this project. As planning progressed, a scenario emerged for partnering in the construction of a regional Best Management Practices (BMP) to treat storm water runoff from a 60 acre watershed in York County that was part of a water quality protection study previously adopted by NNWW. Although the proposed BMP was not on the property being developed for the sports complex, its adjacent location to the project and regional water quality benefits more than justified its construction. Upon their completion in early 2009, the York County Sports Complex and regional BMP were the result of outstanding intergovernmental cooperation that benefitted both localities and the region as well.