Cost could range from $26,000 to $72,000

 

The Ironton City Council Public Works Committee Monday agreed to recommend a plan to alleviate water runoff from the hillside above Carl Drive to houses on that roadway and houses on Woodlawn Drive below.

But one committee member expressed concern that this may fix one problem but create others.

The plan, designed by E.L. Robinson Engineering, calls for some 530 feet of ditch on both sides of Woodlawn to be cleaned and graded. It also calls for the cleaning of existing 12-inch storm drains and catch basins. The plan also calls for the installing of 30 feet of slotted drain on Carl Drive, as well as replacing a half a dozen catch basins, installing 435 feet of rip rap in one area , creating new headwalls in two areas along that street and replacing old culverts.

If the city uses a three-man crew to perform the work, the cost for materials would be $26,327. That figure would not include the cost of equipment operation or manpower.

If the city hires an outside firm to perform the work, the price tag would be closer to $72,000.

Residents of that subdivision off State Route 141 have approached city council twice in recent weeks to get something done about their problem.

Committee President Kevin Waldo said he was concerned that if drainage issues in this neighborhood are fixed, it may not be fair to other areas of the city that also suffer from drainage issues.

“Where does it stop?” Waldo asked. “Where do we draw the line on this? There’s no way if we do the work you can guarantee this work?”

E.L. Robinson Director of Operations Pat Leighty said this is not going to solve all the drainage problems in the Woodlawn/Carl area.

“There’s going to be sheet flow (runoff) from that hill,” Leighty said.

Committee member Phillip Heald asked if maybe larger catch basins could be installed to handle some of the hillside runoff.

Mayor Rich Blankenship said money for the project could come from the city’s stormwater fund. He said that fund could also be used to build the needed retaining wall on Nixon Hill. Council tabled an ordinance Thursday that would have allowed E.L. Robinson to design a retaining wall to keep a hillside slip from creating problems for an underground water reservoir.