Committee reviews long-standing Bailey Street drainage problem; engineers to be consulted

Council members discussed persistent flooding at a low-lying area between Bailey Street and Orris Street and reviewed prior planning steps taken on a Bailey Street Drainage Project.

The committee said the city previously purchased a vacant lot intended for drainage work and that preliminary plans were drawn with a contractor and with staff input. The current concern is repeated flooding at the rear of a residence where highway drainage and local runoff meet and overwhelm existing pipes during major rains.

Buddy, the street superintendent, described possible approaches: a dry retention pond on the recently acquired lots; a large underground bypass pipe (he referenced 24-inch pipe sizes) to route flow around the constrained area; or a multi-stage retention arrangement that slows flows before releasing them to the highway drainage. He cautioned that a hydraulic study is needed to size pipes and retention features and to avoid making flooding worse for neighboring properties.

Buddy said some options would require easements beyond existing fences and that underground bypasses would be expensive. He noted the area’s flat topography and older development patterns make drainage improvements more complicated than in newer subdivisions: “When these houses were built ... they were built long before they started looking at drainages.”

Committee members agreed to have staff and the mayor meet with the town engineer (Dale Hedland) to evaluate the site and recommend engineering solutions, including whether a retention pond or underground bypass is appropriate. The committee did not vote on a design or funding source at the meeting.

Committee members and staff emphasized the need to avoid backing up water onto neighboring properties, including a nearby funeral home, and said a hydraulic analysis should consider that constraint.