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Council approves drainage variance for 515 South Washington redevelopment, 6‑1
Summary
Council granted a site‑specific variance from adopted Liberty County drainage/detention requirements for redevelopment of the former Dairy Queen at 515 South Washington (approx. 1.29 acres) after staff and engineers said the alternative methodology would provide required detention without worsening downstream flooding.
The council approved a site‑specific variance to adopted drainage and detention requirements for a proposed multi‑user retail redevelopment on approximately 1.29 acres at 515 South Washington (the former Dairy Queen). The motion (by Dr. Tanya Clark, second by Roscoe Ward) passed 6‑1.
Emilio Lothario briefed the council: the developer proposes to subdivide the parcel into two pad sites with a regional detention pond and common access drive; the city’s consulting engineer (Blau Engineering) did not accept the developer’s engineers’ methodology for sizing detention, so staff and the developer recommended seeking a variance rather than enforcing the county manual verbatim.
Blake Behringer of Law Engineering explained the technical rationale: the developer’s method yields a smaller detention footprint but, he said, the site outfalls into a well‑defined downstream channel and the reduction in volume is unlikely to harm downstream neighbors. He recommended keeping the variance as site‑specific to avoid creating a broad precedent and suggested the city consider creating its own drainage manual to better fit smaller commercial sites.
Design engineer Kevin Du described mitigation features: larger diameter conveyance (the “candy cane” inlet), a restrictor pipe ahead of the outfall and on‑site detention that would hold water up to the 100‑year event. Blake and Kevin emphasized the design would not increase release rates for storm events covered by the city’s standards.
Council members debated precedent and neighborhood flooding risks; one councilmember asked explicitly whether the plan could worsen flooding for adjacent apartments, and the engineer stated the proposal retains flow up to the 100‑year event and "is not going to worsen the situation at all." After deliberation the council approved the site‑specific variance 6‑1.
The approval authorizes staff to process permits under the developer’s methodology for this site; council directed staff to continue caution and to consider developing local drainage criteria for future cases.
