UA Extension Service Hosting Conference on LID

by Talk Business & Politics ([email protected]) 99 views 

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is hosting a conference on Jan. 21 at the Fayetteville Town Center to discuss a growing trend in architecture and planning — Low Impact Development, or LID.

The primary focus of LID is to reduce impervious surfaces, capture storm water, and disconnect storm water flows by the use of cisterns, bio swales, and vegetation.

Speakers will address key issues tied to LID, including municipal planning, commercial development, and return on investment. Katie Teague, a county extension agent and the event’s organizer, expects as many as 100 people to attend. This year’s annual event is the sixth in the series.

“It may not be quite normalized yet,” Teague said of LID. “We’re still grooming public demand.”

Speakers include Sarah King of Specialized Real Estate Group, Hunter Haynes of HCH Consulting, and Tanner Bassett of Grass Roots Landscaping LLC, among others.

Notable LID projects in Fayetteville include the parking lot at Gulley Park, the bio swales on Block Street, and the underground cisterns at Arvest Bank on Joyce Boulevard. There, the cisterns capture water that is used to irrigate the bank’s landscaping as well as flush the bank’s toilets.

“We’ve come a long way,” Teague said. “We’re getting there.”

More information and registration for the event is available here.