From Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like to see covered on WHYY News? Let us know!
As suburbs around Philadelphia develop with apartments and retail stores, neighborhoods become more susceptible to flooding and stormwater runoff. More intense rainfall is expected in the region, and the threat of climate change is expected to exacerbate the problem.
But one real estate developer says it’s possible to increase housing opportunities while making communities more resilient to the impacts of development and climate change.
The Hankin Group plans to restore floodplains along Lionville Run in Exton, Chester County. The river crosses Keba Flats, the developer’s 19-acre luxury apartment community on Route 30.
River channels erode over time, making them prone to flooding. So Hanking Group secured $2.4 million to widen and level the channel, plant native trees and shrubs to slow water flow and restore it, and control sedimentation.
“Achieving biodiversity, lowering floodplain elevations and removing sediment from river channels can be used to manage stormwater for future development,” says Neil Fisher, vice president of development at Hankin Group. he said.
The project also includes the expansion of Kebba Flats in West Whiteland Town Center, adding 96 homes.
As Exton continues to be developed with multifamily housing, retail, and large parking lots, the area faces increased stormwater runoff and flooding. That’s because water moves faster over paved surfaces than over vegetated areas, said Virginia Smith, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Villanova University.
