Officials said the erosion issues threaten more than 120 residential properties that abut the storm drain. Some backyards reportedly are already suffering from soft-soil problems, and things are expected to get much worse soon.
“We’ve lost half of our chain-link fence — it’s down in the creek,” said Jerry King, 53, who lives in the 5800 block of Barrett Drive.
City officials hosted a meeting Monday, Aug. 9, at St. Helen Parish to present residents with proposals on how to manage the drainage problems.
City Manager Bryan Chodkowski told the roughly 90 residents who attended that the county’s Conservation District would build the retention pond if they gathered enough signatures from the owners of the estimated 4,180 residential and commercial properties in the Riverside portion of the watershed.
The Conservation District needs the signatures of more than half of the property owners, as well as the signatures of property owners who own more than half of the total amount of land, for the project to move forward.
Chodkowski told the residents that they also could try to get Greene County residents who reside in the watershed but have not had similar problems to support the project, but he said that could be a tough sell.
The pond and drain project, which is expected to cost between $850,000 and $1.5 million, would be paid for by special assessments on properties located in the watershed and possibly through grants. Most homeowners would have to pay between $7 to $60 each year for 10 years, Chodkowski said.
The majority of residents at Monday’s meeting appeared to support the plan, with more than a few residents thanking the city for helping find an inexpensive and practical solution. The city’s role will be limited in the project.
But others were less enthused.
“I’m going to support the project, but it’s still a band-aid,” said James Gilliland, who lives in 5600 block of Bayside Drive.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0749 or cfrolik@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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