Permeable resin-bound surfacing can be proposed for stormwater management in Albany if it is built to the porous pavement standard in the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual, which the city's stormwater law adopts as its technical guide. That means a porous wearing course over an open-graded stone reservoir, infiltrating where soils pass the test and underdrained where they do not. The manual names porous asphalt, porous concrete, porous pavers and grid systems but not resin-bound surfaces, so the city's reviewers decide whether it counts.
Permeable paving is already part of the regional plan: the Albany Pool Communities list permeable pavements among the green infrastructure in their combined sewer overflow control plan. A resin-bound overlay on an existing slab does not belong in that category. Water passes through the top layer and then runs off the old pavement, so it is not a stormwater practice.
Chapter 133, the state permit and the redevelopment options
Albany's stormwater management and erosion control law, Article XIV of Chapter 133, applies to all real property in the city. Land development activity, generally one acre or more of disturbance or part of a larger common plan, needs a stormwater pollution prevention plan, and most projects of that size also need post-construction quantity and quality controls. Plans tied to site plan or subdivision review are filed with that application; others go to the Stormwater Management Officer, who reviews them with the City Engineer and Code Enforcement Director. The law points to the state Design Manual, now the July 2024 edition referenced by NYSDEC's GP-0-25-001.
Most Albany sites are redevelopment, and Chapter 9 of the manual gives alternatives: reduce existing impervious cover by at least 25 percent of the disturbed impervious area, or capture and treat the full water quality volume from at least 25 percent of it with standard or runoff reduction practices. Porous pavement is one of those runoff reduction techniques.
Clay, sand and a long freeze: the engineer's checklist
Soils change sharply across the city. The Pine Bush side has deep sands from glacial Lake Albany that can infiltrate well, while much of the Hudson lowland and the older neighborhoods sit on lake clays and fill that barely drain. The state manual requires at least 0.5 inch per hour of infiltration for porous pavement, underdrains below 2 inches per hour, and at least 2 feet from the bottom of the stone layer to the seasonal high water table or bedrock.
Winters are long, with repeated freeze-thaw and heavy salt use on streets. The manual prohibits sand and other winter traction materials on porous pavement, bars its use at stormwater hotspots, limits run-on to three times the paved area and caps surface slope at 10 percent. The engineer sizes the open-graded stone reservoir for storage and frost, with Rock Crete or another permeable base above it.
Albany projects that suit a permeable section
Good candidates are surfaces being rebuilt anyway in neighborhoods that drain to the combined system:
- Rowhouse rear yards and courtyards in Center Square, Hudson/Park and Pine Hills.
- Walkways, plazas and small lots on university, hospital and state-agency campuses.
- Church, school and nonprofit grounds replacing tired asphalt.
- Commercial redevelopment along Central Avenue and in the warehouse district, using the 25 percent redevelopment options.
- Homes on the sandy western side of the city, where infiltration may be practical.
Review in Albany and how we help
Where development plan or subdivision review applies, the stormwater plan is filed and reviewed with that application: the Planning Board decides major development plans and the Chief Planning Official decides minor ones. Otherwise the Stormwater Management Officer, the City Engineer and the Code Enforcement Director review and inspect it. Projects of an acre or more also need coverage under the state construction permit. Ask early whether the city will accept a resin-bound surface course as porous pavement.
We manufacture and ship the system, not the labor: resin binder, aggregate blends, trims and Rock Crete, each covered by technical data sheets for the city's review. We refer owners to an approved installer and train Capital Region crews through installer training. The Stormwater Management Officer decides whether it counts.
Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Albany
- Run infiltration tests at the footprint; Albany soils swing from sand to clay.
- Confirm whether the project is redevelopment and which Chapter 9 option fits.
- Keep 2 feet between the stone bed and seasonal high groundwater or bedrock.
- Plan winter maintenance with no sand or grit on the surface.
- Exclude fueling and vehicle service areas.
- Prepare a maintenance agreement for the city.
Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Albany
Does a small Albany project need a stormwater plan?
The city's law applies citywide and requires a stormwater pollution prevention plan for land development activity, generally one acre or more of disturbance or part of a larger plan. Smaller projects can still face site plan conditions, so check with the Department of Planning and Development or the Stormwater Management Officer before design.
Will porous pavement work on Albany clay?
It can, with an underdrain. The state manual allows porous pavement on soils infiltrating at 0.5 inch per hour or more and requires underdrains below 2 inches per hour. On tight clay the stone reservoir stores water and releases it slowly, which still helps the combined sewer during storms.
Does Albany offer a stormwater fee credit for permeable paving?
We did not find an Albany stormwater fee or credit program in this research. The Albany Pool Communities' combined sewer plan includes permeable pavements among its green infrastructure practices, but that is a municipal program, not a private incentive. Value a private project on compliance and drainage.
Official sources for Albany
- City of Albany Code Chapter 133, Article XIV Stormwater Management and Erosion Control
- Albany Pool Communities combined sewer overflow program
- New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual (July 31, 2024)
- NYSDEC Stormwater Permit for Construction Activity (GP-0-25-001)
Local rules change. We last checked these sources in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you design, and treat this page as a starting point, not engineering or permitting advice.