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Board pauses 3 Oaks Pond grading proposal after members raise stormwater vs. recreation concerns
Summary
Staff described plans to grade and pipe 3 Oaks Pond to repurpose it as community park space; several commissioners said using stormwater funds for recreation is poor optics and asked staff to prioritize flooding projects before returning with a funding plan.
Staff presented conceptual plans for the 3 Oaks Pond site (Pheasant and Meadowlark), describing a roughly 1.5‑acre pond that historically received drainage from about 200 acres and had been modified to divert water to Lake Cornelia. Lanier Engineering prepared a design staff said would allow the city to pipe, fill and grade the site to create a smooth community area.
The presenter said the change follows earlier drainage work and that the city hoped to repurpose the site for community use if the work would not recreate prior drainage problems. Staff listed other stormwater projects in the queue (Shannon Pond, Valencia, Allison and Madison, and Old Dawson/North Doublegate) and described prioritization and scheduling details.
Several commissioners pushed back, arguing the proposal looks like a recreation project and that stormwater funds should be targeted to unresolved flooding problems such as Valencia and South Madison. One commissioner said, “I’m not gonna vote for this,” and others said the city should address higher‑priority drainage problems before converting a detention area to park use. Staff agreed to pull the item from consideration pending a prioritization of stormwater projects and an accounting of available funds.
What’s next: Staff will return with a prioritized list of stormwater capital projects, indicate available funding and clarify which elements are stormwater mitigation versus recreation amenities before the board advances the 3 Oaks Pond concept to the commission.
