University Oaks Neighborhood Association

New Development Impacts U.O. Storm Water Drainage

Mar 30, 2005

Board members recently attended a city planning commission meeting to voice concerns about the proposed drainage for the Oakview Cove subdivision. All the storm/street water drainage for these new homes is directed into University Oaks.

Tom Allen, Lil Langston, Sue Peavy, and Simon Salas told the commission that storm water drainage is already a problem for many at the north end of University Oaks. Tom Allen displayed a plat drawing of the community showing a drainage easement at the top of each cul-de-sac, and explained that for some reason these easements were never actually built. Because of this, and the increased development along Vance Jackson, extreme water run off overflows the few manmade paths and follows the natural downhill contour of the land flooding back yards and between homes.

Roy Rosin, a civil and drainage engineer for the Oakview Cove subdivision, was also present at the meeting. The city commission asked if all parties and District 8?’s chief of staff for Art Hall, Leroy Alloway, would meet to try to resolve the drainage concern.

Mr. Rosin joined several neighbors and board members in University Oaks. They surveyed each cul-de-sac prone to flooding starting at Babson. Contrary to the plat drawing, Babson does not have a drainage system in place. Water collecting in the basin on the school property does not run down the street as designed, but floods between the homes on Babson and Winthop.
Winthop does have a box culvert which carries drainage from the school?’s football field, and will carry the water off Oakview Cove?’s streets. Rockford has no drainage and lies directly downhill from Oakview Cove. Wesleyan also has no drainage system.

Mr. Rosin believes the collecting basin on school property should be filled in and a V-ditch dug along the along the north/south fence line separating University Oaks from the school to the east so water can be diverted to the filtering and settling basin already built on the school property. NISD must agree to the construction of the V-ditch on their property.
If this plan doesn?’t work out, then we?’ll seek the completion of the box culvert system as designed on the original University Oaks plat design.

Councilman Art Hall?’s office has requested a study and review of the drainage system service our community.

Please attend the annual meeting April 3 at 3 pm for more information.