Review Cost Estimate for Drainage Improvements at 17650 Argon Street NW

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is review estimated costs for improvements required to address drainage concerns expressed by the property owners at 17650 Argon Street NW.
 
Background:
The property owners originally shared their concerns via email with Councilmember Olson 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 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 property was developed in 1972, including construction of the home and grading of the yard, which is prior to the City of Ramsey’s incorporation in 1974.
 
The property owners have since expressed concerns about the standing water in their front yard being near their private well. No information exists on this well on the Minnesota Well Index so staff is unable to verify the depth of the well, which 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 attached to the case showing areas of standing water in the front yard and along the east driveway.
 
On May 17th (immediately following the May 16th PWC meeting when this item was originally discussed) staff collected numerous survey shots on the subject property. Attached is a layout showing the survey shots on the front and side yards of the property. Another layout is attached showing the property with 2022 aerial photography and 1-foot contours included for reference.
 
Based on the survey shots taken, much of the front yard must be filled and/or re-graded to prevent standing water in the front yard to properly address the property owner's concerns. Areas of one or both driveways may also need to be raised slightly.  However, there is very little elevation difference between the home’s foundation and the ditch along Argon Street so the final grade of the front yard would be nearly flat. And while a driveway culvert can be added under the west driveway and the ditch along Argon Street can be re-graded to better convey runoff from the street under the west driveway to the ditch along Cobalt Street, the Argon Street ditch grade will be extremely flat.
 
Grading well defined roadside ditches and adding a driveway culvert under the west driveway will work to convey stormwater runoff from the City’s right-of-way along Argon Street and Cobalt Street to the wetland north of the subject property.  However, this will not fully address the property owner’s concerns as a portion of the runoff that pools in the front yard is the result of rain that falls or snow that melts within the front yard, the driveways, and a portion of the property to the east.
 
As directed by the Public Works Committee on June 20th, Staff has estimated costs to re-grade and establish turf within the right-of-way along Argon and Cobalt Streets adjacent to the subject property, and to install a driveway culvert under the west driveway including repairing the impacted portion of the concrete driveway. Attached is a copy of the plan showing the proposed ditch grading and culvert installation work, as well as a cost estimate totaling $32,071.50.  It is important to note that these costs do not include costs to remove and replace any trees, which may be impacted by construction in order to achieve minimum 1:4 side slope in ditches.    

The property owners will receive a link to this case, and will be invited to attend the Public Works Committee meeting on Tuesday evening.   

Staff anticipates 15 minutes will be required to present this case and respond to questions.  

Dependent on discussions and direction from the Public Works Committee.  

Staff has no recommendations to offer at this time.  

Dependent on discussions and direction from the Public Works Committee.