Apple Valley flood project takes first step
Posted By J.T. on July 11, 2009
From the Star-Herald:
Long-awaited relief is on its way for Apple Valley residents that wince every time the rain comes.
For nearly each of the 15 years since its initial development, drainage in the neighborhood just south of M-58 Highway near the city’s center has been a nightmare for homeowners. Stormwater gathers in the area north of the railroad tracks and spreads across lawns, into basements and over streets with an alarming regularity.
But the Belton City Council in Tuesday’s work session learned that it will vote on a design contract that is proposed to rescue homeowners once and for all from the worst of the problem while at the same time, providing a new amenity for nearby Memorial Park.
A flood control project will not only upsize drainage pipes in the most critical area of Apple Valley, but provide a retention pond just north of the existing football field in Memorial Park.
“It’s a solution that’s sustainable and green and that’s what we’re really happy with,” said public works director Cliff Fain on Tuesday night.
The $108,641 design contract with Affinis Corporation is only the first step in a project that will be heavily dependent on the city’s ability to qualify for state and/or federal assistance. However, Fain and project engineers believe it is the type of proposal that should be a strong candidate for outside funding.
He said Parks Department officials have agreed to actually perform the pond construction once the project is approved, and the pond will be the type that will be permanently filled, with excess capacity for the times it is needed to handle stormwater.
In other business, the council heard a report on the Unified Development Ordinance project which is currently under consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board. The project was begun last year by the Community Development department and is nearing the final approval stage.
Council members also agreed to consider a proposal to examine the possibility of bringing the Park Board under the direction of the council. The board is currently an independent entity, and any change to that status would require a public vote under the city’s charter.
[...] A flood control project will not only upsize drainage pipes in the most critical area of Apple Valley, but provide a retention pond just north of the existing football field in Memorial Park. “It’s a solution that’s sustainable and …Page 2 [...]