Board pauses 3 Oaks Pond repurposing after members question use of stormwater funds

Staff presented a design by Lanier Engineering on Oct. 9 to grade and pipe 3 Oaks Pond (about 1.5 acres at Pheasant and Meadowlark) after earlier drainage work diverted inflows to Lake Cornelia. The proposed work would fill ditches and smooth the site so it could be repurposed as a community park.

Board reaction: several members said the project appears to be a recreation amenity rather than a stormwater remediation and expressed concern about spending stormwater funds on park amenities while other neighborhood drainage problems (Valencia, South Madison) remain. One member said, "We're using stormwater funds for recreation projects," and another said they would not vote for the item for optics reasons. Staff responded that Lanier Engineering performed designs to ensure modifications would not recreate prior drainage issues and that some detention areas have been adaptively used as passive parks.

Decision: based on board feedback, staff agreed to pull the item and return with a prioritized list of stormwater projects, descriptions of status and available funding so the board and commission can discuss priorities and optics before authorizing repurposing.

What's next: staff will provide a project prioritization update and detail funding availability for stormwater projects before returning the 3 Oaks Pond item for possible action.