Franklin County, KY Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Plan requirement
- Storm water management plan before any development approval
- Plan signed by
- A licensed professional engineer (PE)
- Approving agency
- County Planning and Zoning Director
- NOV correction window
- Five calendar days
- Criminal fine
- $100 to $500, or up to 90 days, per offense
- Lien trigger
- Unpaid county cleanup costs after 30 days
Summary
In unincorporated Franklin County, Kentucky, no development application is approved without a storm water management plan, and an engineer must sign it. Franklin County Code § 152.06 sends the design details to the Storm Water Procedures Manual, and the County Planning and Zoning Director is the approving agency. Violations carry fines of $100 to $500 per offense.
(A) No application for development will be approved unless it includes a storm water management plan detailing in concept how runoff and associated water quality impacts resulting from the development will be controlled or managed. This plan must indicate whether storm water will be managed on-site or off-site and, if on-site, the general location and type of practices. The Storm Water Procedures Manual outlines accepted design criteria and the information required for submittal in the storm water management plan. ... (C) The storm water management plan(s) must be signed by a licensed professional engineer (PE), who will verify that the design of all storm water management practices meet the submittal requirements outlined in the Storm Water Procedures Manual or EPA’s National Menu of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Stormwater, as applicable.
Full Breakdown
Section 152.06(A) bars approval of any application for development that lacks a storm water management plan describing in concept how runoff and water quality impacts will be controlled. The plan must say whether storm water is managed on-site or off-site and, if on-site, the general location and type of practices. Division (B) adds that development or redevelopment on a previously developed site must include measures for controlling existing runoff discharges. Division (C) requires a licensed professional engineer to sign the plan, and approval does not make the county responsible for design, installation, operation or maintenance of the practices.
Chapter 152 applies to all subdivision or site plan applications unless an exemption or waiver applies under the Storm Water Procedures Manual (§ 152.04). It also reaches land development smaller than one acre when it is part of a larger common plan of development under KPDES permit number KYG200000. Under § 152.02(C) it covers residential, commercial, industrial and institutional development but not agricultural land management practices. The County Planning and Zoning Director approves plans, and the standards are the December 2017 City of Frankfort and Franklin County, Kentucky, Storm Water Design Standards.
Under § 152.07, every non-residential development and multi-family storm water treatment practice needs an enforceable operation and maintenance agreement, including access and inspection easements, and a legally-binding covenant naming the responsible parties must be secured before any permit for land-disturbance activities is issued.
Enforcement under § 152.08 begins with a notice of violation, which carries no fine and must be corrected within five calendar days. A repeat offense of the same nature goes straight to a citation.
Violations & Fines
A notice of violation is the first step and carries no penalty. After a citation, the county can issue a notice of intent ten calendar days later and enter to do the work after 14 days, billing the owner with a lien if unpaid within 30 days. Section 152.99 sets a misdemeanor fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500, or up to 90 days in jail, or both, for each separate offense. Each day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a storm water plan to develop land in unincorporated Franklin County, Kentucky?
Who has to sign the plan?
Who maintains storm water practices after construction?
What happens after a notice of violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
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