Posted: 10/6/04

Liberty Ponds drainage solution under study

Pat Tepoorten
Wyoming Township Reporter

The Wyoming Township Board of Supervisors discussedÝwhat theyÝconsider to be a pertinent drainage issue Tuesday, Sept. 28Ýduring the course of a regular meeting.

The drainage at issue was along Heath Ave.Ýadjacent toÝthe Liberty Ponds development. Currently, an aged culvert designed to assist with rain runoff in the area has failed.Ý

The cause of the failure is not known but was speculated to be a collapse of the pipe. Further muddying the water is the fact the existing pipe runs through private property and goes directly under an existing structure.

With no easement for the pipe and therefore no way to make substantial repairs to the existing pipe, a solution must involve creating an entirely new place for the water to flow.

TheÝLiberty Ponds developer, Integra Homes,Ýhad submitted a plan for fixing the problem, but Engineer MarkÝErichson referred to the proposal as ìnot nearly adequate.î

But, while the township and the developer continue to find middle ground for constructing a solution to the runoff problem, theÝsituation is rapidly becomingÝof major concern.

ìWe must get this resolved," saidÝBoard Chairman Larry Parker, ìso there is no disaster in the spring.î

Board Supervisor RonÝSwenson went so far as to sayÝìwe have to have it corrected this fall.î

Erichson responded that, were the project a township issue, it would alreadyÝbe complete. However,Ýhe said the real issue behind solving the problem is funding. The culvert was created by private individuals perhapsÝ50Ýyears ago for purposesÝof draining crop land.

It is clay in some areas, and even wood in others.ÝThe need for the culvert has long since passed and has not beenÝmaintained in some time. A suggestion the owner of the land should be responsible for fixingÝthe pipe was discounted asÝitÝwas noted it serves a definite ìpublic good,î and therefore fell under the purview of the township.

TheÝlocation is also nearÝthe Liberty Ponds development and would carry runoff from the development, and therefore is needed for Liberty Ponds as well, butÝIntegra said the problem pre-existed the development and such is at least partlyÝtheÝresponsibility of the township to repair.ÝStill, according to the board, IntegraÝhas agreed to partially fund the repair if anÝequitable solutionÝcan be agreed upon.

In the meantime it is not believed that a solution thatÝboth partiesÝcan live with will be fashioned in the short time frame set forth to insureÝit can be constructed before next spring.ÝIn light of that, the board instructed Erichson toÝcreate a temporary solution that will insure thatÝspring runoffÝcan beÝcontrolled and directed.ÝHe is expected to return to the board with possibilities in two weeks.

Some of the suggested repairs included televising the line to see what is blocking it and if it could be easily fixed. Also mentioned were improvements to the inflow and the outflow of the pipe, provided the pipe can be made to carry water.
Still another suggestion was to utilize a nearby drainage ditch to reroute the water in the spring.

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