Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oklahoma County approves Timberline final plat after neighbor raises silt-runoff concerns
Summary
The board approved the 58-lot Timberline subdivision (about 81 acres) in northwest Oklahoma County after the developer and engineer committed to regrade a bar ditch, modify an outlet structure and rely on posted bonds to address silt and runoff that an adjacent property owner described as depositing "8 to 12 inches" of red silt on Douglas Road.
The Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the final plat for the Timberline subdivision, a proposed 58-lot, roughly 81-acre development near Douglas and Waterloo Roads, after hearing testimony from an adjacent property owner and receiving commitments from the developer and project engineer to fix runoff issues.
Mary Anne, an adjacent property owner, told the board that since earth-moving began she has seen "continuous" silt and runoff onto her property and across Douglas Road. "There was approximately 8 to 12 inches of silt, red silt, going completely across Douglas," she said, describing conditions that made passage difficult and left silt piled in the bar ditch and on her pasture. She asked the county to stop further silting of her land and said she was willing to work with the developer to find a solution.
Developer representative Jim Tapp said his team has been responsive to county staff and to Mary Anne, noting crews were on site following a heavy rain event and that the company has worked with inspections and follow-up. "We take what we do very, very serious, and we're there before there is a problem," Tapp said, adding the developer will continue discussions with neighbors and county staff.
Kendall Dillon, the project engineer with Craft and Tull, told commissioners the detention pond was designed to meet the county's drainage criteria (the SCS method) and that the firm believes the system functions as designed on paper. Dillon acknowledged an existing capacity issue in the frontage bar ditch, compounded by silt discharged during construction, and committed to regrading the ditch and modifying the pond outlet structure to further restrict flow. "Once that ditch is dug and has the depth at our northwest corner, it's gonna function," he said, and he noted the developer has posted a $50,000 bond to ensure corrective work is completed.
County staff and commissioners discussed the difference between detention (designed to pass flow) and retention (designed to hold water) ponds and reviewed on-site observations that indicated silt accumulation and some corrosion at outlets. Commissioners said the planning commission had approved the plat following a rain event and that additional inspection and follow-up are typical during the bond-holding period.
After hearing the testimony and engineer commitments, a commissioner moved to approve the final plat, noting the developer's willingness to address the documented runoff problems. The motion passed unanimously. The board's approval is conditioned on the developer completing the remedial work outlined by the engineer and verified by county staff during the bond period.
Next steps include county staff monitoring the corrective work on a quarterly basis as provided in the bonding terms and continued coordination between the developer, the engineer and the adjoining property owner to address any remaining erosion or drainage problems.
