Engineers representing Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) have put together two options for helping the Madison Valley neighborhood better cope with heavy rainfall. The proposals come with $16 million and $28 million price tags, respectively.
Having ruled out various alternatives, SPU officials suggested the two main options. The first plan would involve buying and demolishing or moving 17 homes in the 200 block of 30th Avenue East to make room for a park and part-time pond. The other proposal calls for building a 1.5 million-gal overflow facility in Washington Park Arboretum, either by using a huge underground tank or by creating a berm-surrounded area that could be flooded during intense rainstorms.
Mayor Greg Nickels budgeted $33 million in his 2008 financial proposal for whichever of the plans is ultimately selected. SPU hopes to have made its decision by year's end, though construction likely would not commece until 2009. Utility officials estimate that the work will take about 18 months to complete.
Dozens of Madison Valley residences flooded after heavy August 2004 and December 2006 storms. During a more recent storm event, a neighborhood resident drowned in her basement. The area most affected lies between Capital Hill and the Central District; dwellers in this low-lying area have been asking the city to address drainge issues for years.
According to SPU, either of the overflow storage options being considered could handle 100-year storm events and prevent these sorts of problems. Despite residents' recent interest in building a storm water pipeline with an outflow to Lake Washington, the city has ruled against taking this approach. That alternative could cost between $30 and $80 million and take up to five years to implement, said SPU chief engineer Linda De Boldt.
Source: seattlepi.com
