Published: August 01, 2008 02:10 pm         

Riding Club Road drainage to be eased with culvert and pond improvements

FATE — FATE—Drainage problems along Riding Club Road, just outside Fate’s western city limits, are expected to be eased with the work in conjunction with a commercial development along the road.

Phase II of a Riding Club road office/warehouse development lies in the Fate extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and therefore both Rockwall County officials and Fate city officials have been involved in the platting of the site.

Of concern was drainage, but Fate city council on July 21 approved unanimously the plat after assurances from the city engineer, Terry Millican, that the plans will bring drainage into city ordinance compliance.

Backyards of homes along Riding Club Road have suffered from flooding due to drainage problems.

The area homeowners association representatives and homeowners, and the city and county officials met on the issue as the plat of the development was under consideration.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on drainage issues,” said interim Fate city manager Trent Petty. “The applicant has worked very hard,” he added.

Plans include enlarging and improving an existing retention/detention pond. This will slow the rate of water entering Stodghill Lake, and old U.S. Soil Conservation Service pond from the 1950s. The lake also collects from the drainage along FM 549 too, since the North Texas Municipal Water District put in their water re-use pipes from the Trinity River Bottoms to Lake Lavon, according to Ron Merritt of the county health department, in a recent interview.

Water had been entering the lake faster than it could release it but U.S. Soil Conservation, now known as Natural Resources Conservation Services, will not allow adjustment to the lake, he said.

“Enlarging the retention/detention pond will hold back some of the water,” Merritt said. The commercial office/warehouse construction has been held back by county fire marshal Wesley Roberts until the detention pond is improved, on which work is underway, he said.

“This does meet the city ordinances,” explained Terry Millican, of Millican Engineering to the Fate City Council. “We are not increasing the run-off intensity. The flow rate in the 60” storm sewer under Riding Club Road will not be any greater.”

He added, “The 60” pipe is really too small for what’s going under the road,” he said, in response to councilwoman Sheri Garber’s note that the road is underwater at times.

“We have a fairly high velocity going through that pipe now,” he said. An inlet is being replaced, and culvert modification should reduce friction lost getting into the pipe. “It is barely going to keep water from the top of the road,” he said.

“As long as it is kept perfectly clean it should not jump the road,” he said. “We’ve done what’s prudent and required by ordinance. Changes in the water surface elevation of the lake is minimal.”

It was pointed out that the city is obligated to enforce the county subdivision standard.