ALAN McGowan stands next to water that’s pooled in a low spot on the lot between his house and his neighbour’s house on the 4800 block of Park Ave.
The ‘pool’ comes from the roadway when it rains and has done so for several years, says McGowan, who has lived at and owned 4819 Park for 23 years and also owns the flooded lot at 4817 Park.
He’s worried that the water will flood his, and his neighbour’s, basement and wants the city to do something about it.
The pooling becomes more acute when the ground is frozen, meaning the water from either rain or snowmelt can’t soak in and so flows elsewhere.
The 4800 block of Park Ave. ends in a cul-de-sac a few houses past his residence and is about one block away from city hall just off Eby St.
The road isn’t paved, is littered with potholes and has no ditches or storm sewers, which means rainwater stays on the road, says McGowan.
After finding the road under quite a bit of water when it rained several years ago, McGowan went to the city to complain about it.
The city’s reaction, he says, was to cut a hole in the brush between the side of the road and his second lot to let the water drain off the road.
City public works director Rob Schibli said that the 4800 block of Park Ave. does not have a connected drainage system in place, but added that a soak-away type drain was installed between 4817 and 4819 Park about 10 or more years ago; however, it does not have the capacity to deal with the current conditions.
“Public works crews are currently working on addressing drainage problems and potholes on all shifts due to the rain and snowmelt on frozen ground that we are experiencing,” said Schibli.
“Drainage is normally addressed with paving of a street. Roads and drainage has considered installing a storm main up the street.
“It is challenging due to a one-half width right-of-way near the east end of the road. We recognize the issue but there is nothing in the current five-year plan.”
