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Show Btfl. Residents Ponder Change In Barton Creek By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor BOUNTIFUL - A revised proposal that would allow a wider, but less conspicious flood plain along Barton Creek was favored by the majority of home owners attending a public pub-lic hearing last Wednesday night. - THE PROPOSAL was a preliminary pre-liminary concept offered by John Call, local engineer, who said the proposal would be less conspicuous because the banks of the flood plain would be landscaped. His proposal also calls for a smaller, cement-lined channel. Mr. Call also proposed new types of culverts which, he says, will be easier to maintain and to clean during an emergency such as the recent flooding. AFTER more than two hours bf discussion und input, - about 30 residents who live along Barton Creek raised their hands favoring various proposals made by city official. offi-cial. All favored the enlargement of culverts to better handle the . flow of excessive water and detention reservoirs to be used for collection of rocks, debris, and silt before it enters the stream. i AT THE same time, property proper-ty owners opposed construction construc-tion of a large, cement-lined channel to replace the existing stream in areas west of 400 East. City Engineer Jack Balling said there are several alternatives alterna-tives to what can be done. "Much will depend on what the majority of property owners own-ers want and still feel secure about future flooding." MR. BALLING told the group attending a regular City Council public hearing that a recent study by the U.S. Corps of Engineers advised the city to be prepared for a rare "100-year "100-year storm" by enlarging the capacity of the city's storm drain culverts to 10 to 15 times the present flow. The study showed that the average stream flow of Barton Creek is only 50 to 100 cubic feet per second, but the stream should be constructed to allow for a maximum of -1,300 cfps." OFFICIALS of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), however, suggested that a projected "25-year "25-year storm" plan would be sufficient. suf-ficient. Using the 25-year frequency fre-quency storm study, the channel chan-nel and culverts could be reduced re-duced in size to accommodate a maximum of 600 to 700 cfps, it was explained. Mr. Balling referred to the flooding in early June and the heavy cloudburst July 9 of what can happen in Bountiful to cause extensive flooding. He also emphasized that mud slide potential for Barton Creek is "still very critical." "WE HAD a small slide a few days ago and the area from which that slide originated is massive -- covering perhaps 1,300 acres," he said. "And there are at least a half dozen potential slide areas on the creek." Because of the steep slope of the creek east of 400 East, the creek's channel probably would not be altered, Mr. Balling Ball-ing explained. Below 400 East, however, it will be necessary to redesign the channel to allow for adequate flow even duringa heavy runoff or storm. DETENTION basins are also planned along the creek with a large basin to be located near 1600 East.' above Lake-view Lake-view Drive. Smaller detention basins will be located along the creek to help relieve the creek of rocks, debris and silt before they enter the main stream and clog culverts. "Plugged culverts which created backing of the water caused us one of the main CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Btfl. Residents Ponder ! Change In Barton Creek CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 problems during the recent flooding." said Mr. Balling. "We learned a lot from that experience -- including the need for larger culverts and stronger grales at the head of each culvert." MR. IIAI.MNG said that in addition to replacing the culverts cul-verts -- at a cost of nearly $1 million -- it will be necessary to rechannel the creek in al least two places, where it passes under the South Davis Care Center on 4(M) Fast and 11101 lu-iwy lu-iwy on Main Street. It was proposed that the creek be rcchannclcd to 300 North and west of Main to 150 West. THIS proposal was met wilh opposition from property owners, own-ers, one of whom said he owns three pieces of property where the creek is proposed for rccliiiiiiieling. "Why divert (he creek to go through my hack yards jusl because be-cause there arc problems Willi Ihc mortuary," asked Robert I loicenc, owner of the properties. prop-erties. "I II A VI''. done 11 lot ol woik mid spent a lot of money to hriiulily my ynuls ami lo control con-trol I tic flow ol Ihc creek. Why should this he changed now for the betterment of someone else?" Several other creeksidc residents resi-dents expressed concern for what the redesigned creek would do to the aesthetics of property owners. "We built or bought homes along the creek because of the aesthetics the creek provides," they say. "Now, to have the creek lined or changed drastically would reduce the value of our property. prop-erty. MR. IUI.I.ING said the creek would have to be ex- panded to about 15 feet wide and three feet deep wuh the edges built at a onc to-one ratio to facilitate ihe Corps of Engineer recommendation of carrying 1.JO0 cfps. Richard Peterson said the city should have more responsibility respon-sibility for the maintenance of the streams because all the city's ci-ty's storm diains dump into (he three major creeks. "WE SHOUT) call Ha.lon Creek Barton Sloim Diain because be-cause that's what it is." he said. Attorney I.avnc B. Foibes said that the (creek) channels must be maintained as natuial diains foi the area even though the decks (piopeitv) belongs to the residents. UK STKI SSH) the import-"'ice import-"'ice of having die citv mam-lain mam-lain the creek "in the best Vs-Mhlc Vs-Mhlc way to picvent fmmc Hooding similar to what was cxpcnciKcd lecentlv." Mr. Balling epl,ed that it will he nccessaivtoithccilvio 'vc access to the eivek and hat the cieek hum ,c llc. "lined m such a way as to p,. v'dc easy maintenance. M'VIRAI. icsidems spoke n, "K N'lic hoanng, some of ho,nwe,eco,Ke,cd "'cneck would be finally . """I "d what tvpc of vierk would be designed for :'' 1 neighborhood. City Council look all . ' ments under advisement." '-assured '-assured residents th.it it1 -woik as closely as rsN ' , wuh residents of each a . and in special situations ' - - individual property o |
