Flooding issues in southwest Ann Arbor neighborhoods prompt $200K study
The water was flowing so fast in the Churchill Downs neighborhood during a March 15 storm that there were actually waves.
Photo courtesy of Bob Loukotka
The City Council voted 10-0 Monday night to approve an agreement with the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office to undertake a project to evaluate and identify opportunities for conveyance and stormwater improvements in a portion of the Malletts Creek Drainage District.
Residents said water got so deep in their neighborhood on the March 15 storm that this car had to be abandoned.
Photo courtesy of Laura Ent
The study is an answer to a previous council resolution passed in August that directed staff to negotiate such an agreement with the water resources commissioner.
Much of Malletts Creek is contained in underground piping that carries stormwater runoff from urbanized areas.
Jennifer Lawson, the city's water quality manager, said nearly 37 percent of the land surface draining to the creek is impervious, meaning liquid doesn't pass through it. As a result, stormwater frequently enters the creek too quickly, causing neighborhood flooding — including flooding of residents' basements — when it rains.
"These rain events also carry pollutants from impervious areas to the creek, lowering water quality," Lawson wrote in a memo to council.
Churchill Downs resident Ellen Fisher is asking the city to pay for nearly $25,000 in damages she incurred during a March 15 storm after her basement flooded. That storm also spawned the violent Dexter tornado.
Lawson said the the Malletts Creek Restoration Project of 2000 and the Malletts Creek Management Plan of 2007 both identify construction of stormwater control measures within the creekshed as a high priority to control water quantity and improve water quality during storm events.
Lawson said the improvements yet to be identified could include more stormwater detention, pipe upsizing and green infrastructure to improve overland flow issues.
Malletts Creek is an established county drain, and any work to study and evaluate the county drainage system falls under the jurisdiction of the water resources commissioner.
There was no discussion of the study by city officials at Monday night's meeting. Council Member Stephen Kunselman was absent.
While the city zeros in on the Churchill Downs and Lansdowne neighborhoods, it also is undertaking a citywide analysis of its stormwater drainage system following the March 15 storm that left neighborhoods flooded and home basements under water. The City Council took action in June to approve an $822,700 contract with CDM Michigan Inc. to complete the citywide analysis.
The city also has studied three condominium neighborhoods near Lansdowne and is recommending hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stormwater detention improvements, but the city wants to have property owners pay for the improvements directly through special assessments.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Ann English
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 11:09 p.m.
You've mentioned some subdivisions bounded by Scio Church Road, I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, but the Village Oaks subdivision (mentioned last week in a separate article) is ALSO within these boundaries. That video narrated by a local resident was a very effective way to inform us of what floodwaters did on private property, factoring in terrain. Text alone or with still photos could never have done as good a job of informing us of the factors that must come together to cause flood damage.
motorcycleminer
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 12:56 a.m.
Another 220k to line some bodys pocket as the great old song said " when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn " you can't fix stupid as long as you just keep voting them in....
Basic Bob
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 4:07 a.m.
You can't just go to McDonald's or Walmart and recruit people to do an engineering study. $220k goes amazingly fast when you hire professionals and pay them.
Dog Guy
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 8:24 p.m.
The city of Ann Arbor will use $200,000 from surplus drain funds to go forward with a study which will report that water flows downhill, thereby absolving the City of Ann Arbor of responsibility for any flooding.
Jack Eaton
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.
In 2010, the basement of a home in the Chaucer neighborhood completely filled with water during a severe storm. http://www.annarbor.com/news/for-years-residents-on-village/ That resident sued the City. As is typical, the City moved to dismiss his claim on the grounds of governmental immunity. In May of this year, the Circuit Court denied the City's motion to dismiss. Rather than proceed on the merits or just pay for the damages caused to the resident's home, the City has appealed the dismissal to the Michigan Court of Appeals. The City has known for years that it has significant problems with storm water in the Lawton neighborhoods. It has not addressed the problems or helped the victims of the flooding caused by those problems. Perhaps the potential liability from the various pieces of litigation pending or being contemplated will finally cause the City to address the shortcomings of its storm water system. Hopefully, the current wave of studies is not just a method to delay real action.
Steve Hendel
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 11:10 a.m.
Your quarterly bill from the City for water and sewer includes an amount for stormwater utility; typically, when capital improvements are necessary ( for instance, to replace failing pipelines), the cost of those improvements is taken from existing fund balances and/or bonds repaid with future revenues. IN OTHER WORDS, the people who have the misfortune to live in the area of the failed pipeline are not stuck with the entire cost of fixing it. Meaning, there is no justification for considering a special assessment in this case. You can reasonably expect that, having paid your quarterly bill for those utilities, the City will be responsible for maintaining them. Sadly, the City's response to a problem is (too often) throwing money at a consultant, and then forgetting about it for a year or two. This is your money, people.
Unusual Suspect
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 12:53 a.m.
Sorry, they're busy with more important things, like public art and train stations.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:54 p.m.
"Jennifer Lawson, the city's water quality manager.." I believe water quantity is the problem here, not water quality. OK, I was just goofing on that one.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:52 p.m.
"The water was flowing so fast in the Churchill Downs neighborhood during a March 15 storm that there were actually waves." The speed at which water flows has nothing to do with the presence of waves.
Commoncents
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
While I would agree a water drainage issue should be handled by the government; I have 2 comments 1. We're spending $200k to study it ? How about spend $100 to study it and use the other $199k toward FIXING something. At least that way SOMEONE gets helped. 2. You should NEVER depend on the government for anything. They are inefficient and often times incompetent.
Commoncents
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 : 4:14 p.m.
So 200K sounds reasonable ? Is a complete waste and everyone knows it except some of the slugs in government. Look, I'm aware of the importance of planning, but that number is absolutely ridiculous. $30k tops.
sellers
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:49 p.m.
With engineering issues, you have to study the situation and collect data and behavior. You can't just look at it and say "we need bigger pipes" as that may resolve the symptoms but may cause more problems. It's equivalent to suggesting five more lanes on a road that is busy which may ease congestion however could increase traffic accidents, create runoff issues, create pedestrian issues, and cause changes in neighborhood dynamics. We are not fixing a clogged drain in your sink, the issue is larger and has far more reaching aspects.
Honest Abe
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
Are you freaking serious?
Alan Goldsmith
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:06 p.m.
"Lawson said the improvements yet to be identified could include more stormwater detention, pipe upsizing and green infrastructure to improve overland flow issues." This is why the City is falling apart--an employee, who even though we are paying yet another consultant $200K from 'surplus' funds to weigh in, already knows what we 'could' need in the 'yet to be identified' solution. I think AnnArbor.com should FOIA request any and all of the emails to City staff and Council members Higgins and Teall that have gone unanswered on Ward 4 flooding complaints. Just for fun.
Jack Eaton
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 7:25 p.m.
@ sellers, It is my understanding that the City commissioned a study of storm and sewer systems in this neighborhood in 1997. That study is commonly referred to as the Black and Veatch report. I have been told that the recommendations of that report were considered too expensive and were not followed. I am unaware of any attempt to address the neighborhood's fundamental storm water problems in any comprehensive manner since that study. Ironically, if you request a copy of the Black and Veatch report, you receive a redacted document. The City maintains the position that revealing infrastructure information exposes it to terrorist threat. The neighbors are trying to imagine what a terrorist might do to the neighborhood's storm system that could make it any worse than it already is.
sellers
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 4:45 p.m.
This is the problem with public positions- you are dinged if you do and dinged if you don't. Because it's everyone's money they want to play armchair quarterback and there is a great amount of pressure to use consultants otherwise if you make a decision and it's not a success, the public tends to blame you for wasting money and being incompetent. Sometimes though - government agency just don't have the talent on staff since it's expensive to retain and they may not have enough work full time.
MyOpinion
Tue, Oct 16, 2012 : 3:58 p.m.
Wow: "The city also has studied three condominium neighborhoods near Lansdowne and is recommending hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stormwater detention improvements, but the city wants to have property owners pay for the improvements directly through special assessments." The city just spent almost 1.4 million in sewer and water improvements in preparation for the 'maybe train station.' While, I understand that the SW Ann Arbor flooding problem probably can't be fixed with 1.4 million dollars, this sounds like infrastructure to me. Exactly, what do citizens get from the City of Ann Arbor? And, by the way, the city failed to finish the replacement of the bikepath/sidewalks on Fuller after the sewer and water improvements.