4504 Oak Chase Rd - Drainage Memo?? 61 " C-
M `o Beatta Blomquist
4504 Oak Chase \Vay
Eagan M.N. 55123
PAULBAKKEN
PEGGYCARLSON Re: Shom Draina.ge Concems, 4504 Oak Chase Way
CYNDEE FIELDS
MEGTILLEY Dear Ms. Blomquist,
Council Mem6ers ps you know, the City has received a Notice of Claim filed on your bebalf by the firm of Tewksbury,
Kerfeld and Znnmer on or about December 12, 2000. T'his has heen fonvarded on to the City's insurance
carrier for disposition. We have also received a letter from you dated May 11, 2001 further explaining your
'i'HOMAS HEDGFS concerns regarding your current drainage situation. It is also my understanding that you have contacted
CiryAdmininncor various members of the City Council and Staff on numerous different occasions presenring your issues and
concems further. I know that the City has reviewed and discussed your concerns and drainage situation on
several occasions. I hope that this letter will clarify the City's posirion on this issue.
Per the Prelnninary Drainage Report (PDR) presented to the public on April 30, 2001 it has been
'
s
determined that the curzent design of the drainage system on Oak Chase Rd neaz you home meets the City
Muaicipal Cencer: minimum design criteria. Subsequently, the Ciry Council did not authorize any additional unprovements.
3830 Piloc Knob Road We do recognize that your home flooded as a result of the super storm event, but it most probably was
amibutable to the significandy excessive amount of rainfall and the fact that your backyard does not have
Eagan, MN 55122-1897 any outlet for storm water runoff.
Phone: 651.681.4600
On June 13, 2001 you attended a meeting of the Public Works Committee to specifically review this issue
Fax: 651.681.4612 again and to discuss further any coacems that you had. A copy of the minutes and the Committee's findings
454.8535
7"DD: 651 are enclosed for your information. These futdings were forwarded onto the full City Council on June 15. It
. is my understanding that based on these reviews, some options for you to address your concems involve the
installation of gutters on your house to d'uect the runoff away from your backyazd and to work with your
Maincena„a Fadl[ry: neighhor to your south to install some type of berm to insure that any natural overflow from Oak Chase Rd.
that may cross their property is not directed into your landlocked backyard. Probably the best option would
3501 Coachman Poinc be to have a storm sewer pipe installed from your backyard to drain the excess water. This can be installed
Eagan, MN 55122 by the Ciry if you would be willing to pay the related costs.
Phone: 651.681.4300 Ic is the intenrion of this letter to again respond to your concems. If you have any other issues that you want
to discuss with the City, please address them to my attenrion for consideration by the full Council, as may
Fax: 651.681.4360 be appropriate.
TDD: 651.454.8535
Sincerely,
vnvw.cityofeagan.com I
Patricia Awada
Mayor
Enc: Public Works Committee report
THELONEOAKTREE cc: CityCouncil
The rymbol of saengd,
and growdh in our
wmmuniry
`411'*
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Mike Maguire
Mayor
Paul Bakken
Cyndee Fields
Gary Hansen
Meg Tilley
Council Members
Thomas Hedges
City Administrator
Municipal Center
3830 Pilot Knob Road
Eagan, MN 55122-1810
651.675.5000 phone
651.675.5012 fax
651.454.8535 TDD
Maintenance Facility
3501 Coachman Point
Eagan, MN 55122
651.675.5300 phone
651.675.5360 fax
651.454.8535 TDD
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The Lone Oak Tree
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strength and growth
in our community.
November 3, 2010
Ms. Bea Blomquist
4504 Oak Chase Road
Eagan MN 55123
Re: Drainage Concerns at 4504 Oak Chase Road
Dear Ms. Blomquist:
I am writing as a follow-up to the conversations we've had during the month of
September, 2010, regarding your drainage concerns in the backyard of your residence, as
well as your letter to Tom Colbert dated October 1, 2010, regarding the same topic. I
have reviewed the analysis you provided from Thatcher Engineering, Inc. (TEI), as well
as the previous analysis completed by the City of Eagan as part of the response to the
July 2000 Storm. The impending request is a result of my examination of these previous
investigations.
As you know, your backyard at 4504 Oak Chase Road is downstream of portions of the
contiguous properties and does not have an overland drainage or piped outlet Due to
this fact, your backyard collects and ponds overland drainage as a result of significant
storm or snow melt events. The basement level of your home includes a walk -out entry
providing access to the backyard. The July 7-8, 2000 Storm event caused flooding to a
level approximately one foot above your basement floor elevation. While your home has
not flooded since the July 2000 event, following events, such as the August 13, 2010,
storm, have continued to be cause for concern for you.
I understand your concern regarding your backyard drainage. The extra effort on your
part to have the engineering investigation completed only emphasizes the seriousness of
your distress. It is with this same level of sincerity that I am responding.
The TEI recommendations include two valid alternatives that would appear to help
address the backyard drainage concerns, not unlike the recommendations of the July
2000 Storm Preliminary Design Report. However, unlike the July 2000 Storm
Preliminary Design Report, the suggested alternatives focus on redirecting the collected
backyard drainage to other locations, including one of the neighboring properties,
whereas the preliminary design report focused on the prevention of public right-of-way
drainage on to your private property. Council support for improvements to address the
July 2000 Storm flooding of your property were unanimously denied as it was
determined that your property met City Standards for drainage from public right-of-way
during a design (1%) event (see enclosed). This previous analysis and the resulting
Council action shall guide any further consideration of such improvements.
I would concur with the statement by your engineer, "The infiltration capacity of the soil
in your back yard has been reduced over time." With this perspective, I would like to
actually analyze the infiltration capacity of your backyard. I will suggest that this may
best be accomplished by a soil testing firm with a licensed geotechnical engineer. I
would like to schedule such soil boring work after the ground has frozen, ideally, yet in
November. I would anticipate at least two soil borings in the lowest part of your
backyard as part of this investigation. The borings could be delayed until December if
the weather is uncooperative. The City of Eagan will be responsible for the cost and
coordination of this soil analysis.
All disturbed areas will be covered with topsoil, dormant seeded with standard turf grass,
and protected with proper erosion control measures. It appears that this restoration will
be very comparable to the existing condition of your property.
I would like to get a response promptly so that I may schedule said soil borings within
the next 30 days. Please contact me with any questions or comments. I appreciate your
anticipated cooperation. You may reach me at 651-675-5646 or
rmatthys(cr�cityofeagan.com.
Sincerely,
Russ Matthys, P.E.
City Engineer
c: Tom Hedges, City Administrator
Tom Colbert, Public Works Director
John Gorder, Assistant City Engineer
Enclosure: Special Council Minutes, 4-30-01
G:RM/10/LettersBackyard Drianage Issue, Blomquist, 11-3-10