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Residents say southeast neighborhood was left out of current drainage phase after heavy flood damage; staff says a phase 2A/3 is possible
Summary
Residents at the workshop said they were promised inclusion in phase one of the Southeast drainage project and reported severe flood damage (one resident estimated about $6 million in damage to several buildings). City staff said phase two is finishing design and that a subsequent design phase to extend work into the affected area is being considered but could take years.
During the workshop’s public‑comment period, multiple residents described recurring and severe flooding in a southeast neighborhood and said they had expected to be included in the city’s Southeast drainage project. One resident said a block of six buildings suffered close to $6 million in damage during a recent storm and said residents were promised inclusion in phase one.
The city’s Sean Shuton, identified in the meeting as the senior CIP and grants administrator for public services, explained that a construction phase is underway for the southeast drainage project (phase one), phase two design is nearing completion, and the current model intentionally excluded active projects that the city is already designing or building. Shuton said the connection points will reach Seventh Street but acknowledged that the area described by residents south of Seventh toward Sheridan remains undesigned and that the city is discussing a potential phase 2A or phase 3 to extend work.
Shuton told attendees the sequencing and funding requirements mean implementation of additional work could take time: "phase two is just the connection … we want to have a phase three or a phase 2A ... that to go further into your area that has to be designed and we'll find the funding," he said. Staff noted that design completion and available funding constrain how quickly construction can start and that some overlap of phases is possible but will depend on budgets and permitting.
Residents pressed staff on local impacts: first‑floor units, elevators and cars had been damaged in past storms, children walking past standing water created safety concerns, and several speakers said debris, clogged swales and staging yards had worsened local conditions. City staff committed to follow up with engineering and parks staff about the staging area and to provide contact information for residents to request site‑specific review.
The exchange highlights residents’ urgency for near‑term mitigations in areas that the master plan’s citywide model did not prioritize because the model excluded neighborhoods with active city projects. City staff said they will explore options for earlier design work where possible and to incorporate affected locations into future phases, while stressing that funding and permitting timelines make immediate construction uncertain.
