Review Drainage Concerns at 17650 Argon Street NW

he purpose of this case is to review drainage concerns shared by the property owners at 17650 Argon Street NW with Councilmember Olson via email on April 18, 2023, who then shared their email with City Engineer/Public Works Director Westby on April 19, 2023.  The following italicized text copied from the original email outlines the property owners' concerns and request for assistance from the City.
 
Hello, my wife and I live at 17650 Argon St. NW for 6 years now and we have a concern that we believe is a city responsibility.  As you can see from the attached pictures, our front yard retains water in the right-of way ditch and then overflows covering our front yard completely.  This water gets upwards of a foot deep at times in the spring and comes within 10 feet of our foundation.  Most of the other residences in the neighborhood have culverts under their driveways to allow the water to flow…we do not.  This has caused us hardship as it is flooding our basement.  As you can see in a couple of pictures we have to set pumps up to remove the water to try and reduce the amount of water coming into our finished basement.  We are wondering if the city will install culverts under one or both of our driveways to help alleviate the flooding at our property.  I would encourage you to drive by or stop by in the next couple of days with the rain coming and see the situation for yourself. Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss this further.  My contact information is attached below and this is my work email and I have copied my wife as well.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
 
Assistant City Engineer Feriancek visited the site on April 21st to meet with the property owners and Councilmember Olson.  Based on Assistant City Engineer Feriancek's observations (no survey shots had been taken yet), the front yard of the property was graded at least 6-inches lower than the foundation of the home, both driveways, and Argon Street.  The rear yard has positive drainage to the wetland behind the home, and there is a defined drainage ditch between their west driveway and Cobalt Street.  However, no defined drainage ditch exists between their front yard and Argon Street, nor is there a defined swale to convey stormwater runoff from their front yard to the wetland behind their home, or to the drainage ditch along Cobalt Street.
 
This paragraph was updated with additional information on Friday, May 12, 2023.  This property was developed in 1972, including construction of the home and grading of the yard, prior to the City of Ramsey incorporating it in 1974. The property owner also stated they have concerns about the standing water being near their private water well.  No information exists on this well on the Minnesota Well Index website so staff is unable to verify the depth of the well, but it is listed as a “deep” well on the attached septic as-built drawing.  Various pictures taken by the property owner and Assistant City Engineer Feriancek are now attached to the case showing areas of standing water in the front yard and along the east driveway.  When this case was re-published on Friday, May 12th, staff was still of the opinion that much of the front yard of this property must be filled/graded, potentially including areas of both driveways, to properly address the property owner's concerns. While a ditch may be able to be graded along Argon Street to convey runoff from the street underneath the two driveways to the ditch along Cobalt Street, this will not completely address their concerns since much of the runoff that pools in their front yard originates from their front yard and driveways, along with a portion of their neighbors' property to the east. On Tuesday evening, City Engineer/Public Works Director Westby will provide an update from his meeting with the property owner(s) on site on Friday, May 12th, at 3:30 PM. 

 

Staff anticipates 30 minutes will be required to present this case and respond to questions.  

Staff will send the property owners a link to this case, and has invited the property owners to attend the meeting Tuesday evening.  

Dependent on discussions and direction from the Public Works Committee.  

Staff has no recommendations to offer at this time.