A $2.5-million project to mitigate drainage issues around a concrete swale in the Oakmont area is being delayed until next year.
Council agreed in May to front-end the money, which deals with the swale located between properties along Oak Vista Drive and Oakhill Place.
A letter to residents sent earlier this month said the project has been rescheduled until fall of 2015 because not all effected properties agreed to the temporary one-metre working easement needed to do the work this fall.
Director of engineering Tracy Allen said that due to compressed timelines of the project it’s possible not everyone had the chance to agree to the easement.
“We are going to do a little work … this year at the base of the hill,” Allen said, noting the rest of the project will go ahead next year. “To get in and do the work we need a temporary one-metre working easement.”
Until then, the city will monitor and mitigate as necessary for any problems that arise. The letter notes that over the next year the city may have to access the existing two-metre utilities right of way to do so.
In May, Mayor Nolan Crouse said the effects of the drainage issues for the residents affected is “absolutely terrible” with some backyards not even being developed and others having problems with erosions.
The swale essentially needs to be expanded to deal with the volume of water so that it has the capacity to handle a one-in-100-year storm event.
There were two open houses this summer on the project and Allen said in a perfect world they’d like a year to plan and consult on this sort of undertaking.
In general, Allen said those who have swales in their yards are reminded it’s part of a utility right of way and a larger system.
“If you have a concrete or a grass swale in your backyard, that is part of a larger utility right of way and residents are reminded that they have to keep it free of debris, they can’t block it and it’s really important to ensure good flow of the water,” Allen said.
