WHEREAS, Eastwick is a neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia bordered by the Philadelphia International Airport, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and Delaware County, Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, A large portion of Eastwick is comprised of low-lying land with much of the area located in 500-year and 100-year floodplains; and
WHEREAS, Eastwick has been plagued with persistent flooding which has caused severe damage to countless homes and resulted in economic hardship for residents, blighted buildings and environmental concerns; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has established Green City Clean Waters, an ambitious 25-year, two billion dollar plan to improve the City of Philadelphia's stormwater management capabilities by utilizing green infrastructure to mirror natural stormwater absorption processes in order to relieve the City's overburdened traditional stormwater management infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia's stormwater management plan includes environmentally sustainable stormwater management options like porous pavement surfaces, green roofs, rain collection systems, stormwater planters, and strategic tree placement. This comprehensive system is designed to collect and absorb water before it enters into the City's sewer system; and
WHEREAS, The Green City Clean Waters plan has been recognized as one of the most innovative stormwater management plans in the United States. If successful, this plan will establish Philadelphia as a forerunner in the nationwide movement toward effective and sustainable stormwater management; and
WHEREAS, The implementation of an effective Citywide stormwater management plan must include a solution to the persistent and devastating flooding which has plagued Eastwick for decades; now therefore,
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to investigate flooding and the City of Philadelphia's efforts to improve stormwater management in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia.
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