Town submits DEEP grant to install rain gardens, swale and a green roof on municipal properties

Town staff told the Economic Development Commission on Jan. 9 that they submitted a DEEP zero-match grant application to fund green stormwater infrastructure on municipal properties, including rain gardens, a water-quality swale at the high school parking lot and a green roof on a flat municipal roof.

The staff member said the application was prepared rapidly after a Yukon Clear student team presented options; they estimated the ask at about $350,000 and said notification is expected in the first quarter. “I want to say it was like $350,000,” the staff member said; she also cautioned that feasibility — especially structural capacity for a planted roof — will require engineering assessment.

Members reviewed proposed interventions: multiple rain gardens on municipal parcels, a green roof consisting of tray-mounted sedum and ground covers that would be installed on a re‑roofed flat surface, and a vegetated swale to treat runoff from a school parking area. The plan includes structural-engineering evaluation to confirm load capacity before installing the roof system.

Commissioners noted the value of using a grant to meet MS4 permit obligations for stormwater disconnection without town match. Staff said they built structural assessment and re-roofing costs into the grant ask and indicated the proposal could help the town meet permit obligations while improving town facilities.

No vote was taken; staff will await DEEP’s decision and follow up on feasibility questions, particularly the structural assessment for a planted roof.