Residents of Maple and Carver Drives will find out how much it will cost the city to fix years-old flooding issues in each area during tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
Earlier this year, one Maple Drive resident was forced from her home, when a storm brought heavy rains and an EF-2 tornado to Starkville during the late-night hours of New Year’s Eve and the early-morning hours of Jan. 1. Susan Shappley’s home flooded, as did the homes of two neighbors.
Three inches of water were still on the floor at 6:45 a.m. on New Year’s Day, and Shappley ended up moving in with her parents.
Tonight, City Engineer Edward Kemp will present cost estimates that range from $175,000 to $850,000. Between each street, Kemp has compiled 16 different options for the city to consider.
The cost estimates come a month after engineer Jason Wooten told the board flooding issues in both areas are caused by insufficient pipe sizes that cause headwater to build up and spill.
In the case of Maple Drive in the Green Oaks subdivision, the drainage ditch south of the street is sufficient, but the stormwater pipes that tie the ditch to Maple Drive can’t handle the type of storm a city would likely see several times a year.
“It’s better to have more options,” Kemp said. “Some methods are potentially easier to construct when you’re dealing with pipe and concrete. There’s also a fluctuation in the cost of materials over time and variables to consider, like what other utilities are nearby.”
It’s unlikely residents will see immediate results following tonight’s meeting, as the two projects are already part of the city’s existing list of proposed drainage improvements.
The city currently has 28 projects on the list, which was initially compiled by the previous administration. Only five other projects currently on the list have cost estimates of more than $100,000.
“Each one is a little bit different and caused by different problems,” Kemp said. “A lot of them are erosion-related problems with channels getting wider and deeper. Only a few that I’m aware of involve flooding houses. It’s really hard to prioritize those because drainage is a big deal.”
Capital improvement suggestions, including flooding and drainage, were taken from aldermen and department heads and forwarded to financial consultant Demery Grubbs, of the Jackson-based firm Government Consultants Inc., whom the city contracted earlier this year to help craft its master list and provide financial guidance for a five-year plan.
The board will also hold the second public hearing to amend the city’s subdivision ordinance to allow single-phase street construction.
Numerous developers and engineers have asked the city to allow a one-phase pavement installation at the outset of construction, which would provide a more stable street to haul materials and ensure residents have complete streets while other houses are being built.
Currently, the city allows only a two-stage construction that allows the installation of the final layer of asphalt after 85 percent of housing construction is complete. The two-stage regulation ensures the city will inherit a street that hasn’t been heavily patched or repaired.
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver was skeptical that the city would always inherit a stable and aesthetically pleasing street that’s been patched or resurfaced but was the only member of the board to voice a concern.
No citizens voiced opposition.
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