Ask if the city has a regulation requiring owners to correct drainage
problems caused by their sites on adjacent properties. If so, it could
make the owner of the open space behind your house regrade that parcel so
runoff drains from your house lots into the open area. The owner (the golf
course?) could grade the open parcel so it's lower than the surrounding
house lots and install a swale in the center, The swale should extend
downstream to discharge where it won't impact other existing development.
If the open space parcel owner says the problem was caused by lousy grading
from the house developer, the lot builder/residential developer could
proffer to regrade the open space parcel, even if they don't own it -
they'd just need a temporary grading easement from the open space owner to
do so.

Regrading would impact some existing trees in the open space, but the
parcel could be reforested after getting the grades right. The adjacent
house lots may need regrading as well to get positive drainage from these
lots to the regraded open space parcel. Given the poor infiltration
capacity, improving the surface conveyance is a good bet especially to make
sure drainage works when the ground is frozen.

If there's no legal authority to force the open space owner to do this, try
for a negotiated agreement between the golf course & the lot builder to
share the cost of this improvement. Ask the city council members or other
elected officials to get involved in bringing the private parties to the
table. Get your civic/homeowners association and as many lot owners
together as possible on petitions, letters & emails to push for this, and
push for firm dates on completion of design and construction - preferably
before next winter. Articles in the local papers might also be useful in
encouraging the private parties to participate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lise Soukup, P.E., Civil Engineer II
City of Rockville Department of Public Works
111 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Lsoukup@...
Desk: (240) 314-8515 DPW Main: (240) 314-8500 Fax: (240)
314-8539
City's website: www.rockvillemd.gov
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"kalibailey11"
<kalivanagas@gmai
l.com> To
Sent by: stormwaterpro@yahoogroups.com
stormwaterpro@yah cc
oogroups.com
Subject
[StormwaterPro] City said that it's
03/13/2008 05:01 not their problem
PM


Please respond to
stormwaterpro@yah
oogroups.com











Here is what the city said about the water problems around our house:

"I was out in your area on other business yesterday and looked at the drainage
problems
you mentioned.

All of the Broken Top development is private streets and drainage so there is
little the City
can do to help alleviate the drainage problems.

The entire area is in what we call a problem drainage area. The soils and
geology
are not
conducive to infiltration. You have probably heard or read about the drainage
problems at
Summit High School. We have had several reports of wet crawl spaces in Broken
Top.
Prior
to development, the soils were loose and able to retain stormwater. With
development,
the soils were compacted or removed and a lot of impervious roofs and pavement
meant
that there was less and less soil available to absorb the water. Water applied
to
the golf
courses (or other turf, for that matter)keeps the golf course soils wet and
reduces their
ability to absorb rainwater. In January and February, the soils of Central
Oregon
froze to a
depth of several inches. It has taken quite a while for the soil to thaw.
Frozen
soil has no
infiltration capacity at all and this surely added to the problem as the snow
began to melt.

I wish I could offer some suggestions but it is a difficult problem."

Ok, so what's the next step?
Thanks,
Kali





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