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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRe: drainage May 21, 1997 D CITY OG J _ �r KEITH WATERS & ASSOCIATES, Inc. DESIGNERS&BUILDERS 10340 Viking Drive Suite 110 Eden Prairie MN 55344 (612)942-1060 fax(612)942-1058 License Number-0001508 Mr. Bruce Vang Building Inspection Department City of Orono P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323 Ref: 103 / 1020 T kawa Rd. Retaining Wall Dear Bruce: I know this wall is not your favorite topic and I don't want to unnecessarily add to your work load. However, after much cost and turmoil, we have solved a serious drainage problem. It makes sense to keep it solved. The Williams at 1020 Tonkawa Rd. are planning to landscape the area in the drainage channel and we have some concerns. I have included a copy of the letter I sent them. Could you follow up with this? I think the City should review this, but don't know if it will be you or the City Engineer. Give me a call when you get a chance. Thank you. ,Since-rely, r Keith Waters KW/hks cc: Robert Edmunds 5/21/97 Doug & Marge Williams KEITH WATERS 1020 Tonkawa Rd. &ASSOCIATES,Inc. Orono, MN 55364 DESIGNERS&BUILDERS 10340 Viking Drive Ref: Driveway and Retaining Wall at Edmunds Property Line Sate 110 Eden Prairie Dear Doug & Marge: MN 55344 612)942-1060 fax(612)942-1058 You are planning to landscape your yard including the strip on the south License Number-000 1508 side of your home. When you called, you indicated that you are in the process of obtaining designs and quotes from landscape companies. I want to inject a note of caution here. The space between your home and Edmunds boulder wall is designed and engineered as a drainage swale to channel huge amounts of runoff from your front yard and driveway to the lake. It is designed in the following layers: the ground is shaped into a 'V' shape to channel the water away from the wall and your home. A heavy fabric is placed over the ground. This fabric carries the water and prevents the erosion of the soil below. The fabric continues behind the boulder wall and prevents water from washing the soil out between the boulders and undermining the wall. The large stones, known as "rip-rap", are placed over the fabric. They slow waterflow, protect the fabric from deteriorating from sunlight, and most importantly hold the fabric in place. The point of this discussion is that no holes should be cut into the fabric, nor should the drainage swale be altered. If you wish to change the color of the stones, you should cover the existing "rip-rap"with different color stone. Huge amounts of water pour through this channel. If the water gets into holes cut for a shrub or tree, it can washout the shrub, undermine the fabric, and ultimately undermine the wall and the earth along your property line. You should view this area as a functional area first and then a landscape design area. You should pass this data on to any landscape contractor you may use and have the City of Orono review and approve any landscape plans. You wanted us to contribute to changing the rock color in this area. We will contribute up to $200.00 worth of rock to cover the existing "rip-rap". I have attached notes from Bob Edmunds of conversations he has had with the Wall Engineer, Wall Contractor and Landscape Architect regarding this issue. Also attached is a note sent to Bruce Vang, the City of Orono Inspector. In summary, when you landscape, tell your contractor not to cut holes in the fabric or change the drainage system. Please call with any questions. Sincerely, Keith Waters KW/hks cc: Robert Edmunds o � o CITY of ORONO Municipal Offices Street Address: Mailing Address: $Egg0 2750 Kelley Parkway P.O. Box 66 Orono, MN 55356 Crystal Bay, MN 55323-0066 October 27, 1997 Doug Williams 1020 Tonkawa Road Long Lake, MN 55356 RE: Drainage Dear Mr. Williams: Often when a new house is built drainage questions arise. The general rules are: 1. Where water has always drained from one property to another, drainage may continue but flow must not be increased. 2. New runoff from house and drive must be kept on the property. 3. As always, water runs downhill. To meet this goal, you were required to have drainage plans approved by the City at the time of construction. Your builder, Lecy Construction, devised a combination of an area drain and a blacktop drainageway to direct new runoff from your house and driveway into your front yard. This combination was never intended to handle the large amount of runoff from further west of your house. The City tried to encourage the builder at 1030 Tonkawa Road to delete their basement garage. We felt they would only exacerbate an already difficult and historical water problem on that lot. The builder was convinced that his engineer could design an appropriate boulder wall to deal with the situation. Some degradation of your blacktop spillway has occurred. Probably due to ground settlement, water now flows off the side and toward your neighbor's wall. This drainage should stay on your property. Either a curb or some fieldstones along the south edge of the spillway and a little landscaping would probably correct this situation. Telephone (612) 473-7357 • FAX 473-0510 Doug Williams October 27, 1997 Page 2 Please make these corrections this Fall. The weather forecast seems to indicate above average runoff in the coming months. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please call me at 473-7357. Sincerely, Bruce Vang Field Inspector BV/lsv cc: Greg Gappa, Director of Public Services Lyle Oman, Building Official Robert Edmunds, 1030 Tonkawa Road, Long Lake, MN 55356