Gerrard Residents Upset with Board's ReversalGerrard Avenue residents let the Speedway Storm Water Drainage Board know they were displeased about funding the estimated $16,000 Meadowood Park drainage plan. The funding is not to exceed $16,000 without additional board approval. The board’s February 8th vote reversed its previous action in January, stunning residents because they were led to believe in earlier meetings that their drainage and sewage backup problems had the utmost urgency. The residents had to wait over a month to voice their displeasure to the board. Lucy Tingle, of 2027 Gerrard Avenue, wanted to know why the decision was changed. Tingle was upset when she missed February’s meeting, she was not aware that the meeting had change from the normal date of the third Thursday of the month to the 8th so it could coincide with the Waste Water Treatment plant’s long term control plan public hearing. She said she showed up on the 15th, but no one at the town hall had any information as to why the town hall meeting room was empty. Board president Bill Golay said storm water board decided to revisit the park board’s request since they want to implement an estimated $2 million bond to improve both parks. The proposed park project calls for adding new playground equipment and widening the walking path. Meadowood’s poor drainage would negate the improvements. The poor drainage makes it impossible for people to walk on the paths after a heavy rain. The issue was raised to the town council members, but they refused to fund the project because the sewage and drainage Allison Avenue and Gerrard Avenue. These drainage issues are the council members’ priorities. Golay said the date change was announced at the town council meeting. “You are giving our money away,” Gerrard Avenue resident Pam Flahtery said in reference to fixing the Meadowood Park. “We will hold the town council to fixing Gerrard Avenue and Allison Avenue,” Golay said. The town has been forced to look at the drainage issues after the April 14, 2006 rain event that caused sewage to back up into basements from 2000 block of Gerrard and Allison Avenue. The residential homes south of Crawfordsville Road to 16th Street were not spared from sewage backing up into basements. Residents demanded the council address the problem. The board has been looking into the problem since May, but no definite plans have been established. HNTB Engineer Gordon Evans expresses trepidation of the town spending money because he thinks the problem is with homeowners’ perimeter drains connected to the sewer. If this is the case, homeowners and town may receive no benefit from separating the storm and sewers along Allison Avenue and Gerrard Avenue. The plan is to initiate storm water separation with a 12-inch pipe that will eventually connect to a 48-inch manhole at Speedway Drive and Lynhurst Drive. Evans said he would have a base cost estimate of the Allison Avenue and Gerrard Avenue project, and then include incremental costs of adding Winton Avenue, Fisher Avenue, and Presto Avenue. The town is waiting for the Marion County Surveyor’s office to shoot street elevations to confirm the project is doable. The proposed drainage plan, north of Crawfordsville Road, will route the water east toward Winton from either 21st Street or 20th Street eventually discharging into to Dry Run Ditch. The county surveyor’s office needs to confirm elevations to determine which route is most feasable. Tingle also expressed a second grievance as to why the board members did not return her neighbor’s call on March 4. She said her neighbor suffered from sewage backup that also seeped into the street. She said her neighbor called the Speedway Police, but they would not contact the street department. In previous meetings, residents were told to contact the police for after hours emergencies and the call would be forwarded to the street department. She claimed the police dispatcher told her neighbor to call Rotor Rooter. Street Department Commissioner Wendall Walters said he would look into the issue and Golay said he did not get the message, but he would check his recorder later. The board also approved of Walter's request to fix the ponding water on Worth Avenue and 15th Street and 13th Street and Winton Avenue for a total project cost of $11,130. |
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