POLAND Residents seeking drainage upgrades

A North Main Street resident had 12 feet of water in his yard.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Residents of the northwest section of the village have petitioned village officials for replacement of worn or broken curbs, street resurfacing, enlargement of catch basins and replacement of aging sewer lines to improve drainage on Johnston Place.
"We want to petition that we go ahead with that and use grant money to do this," said Albert Pompeo of Johnston Place, who added that, in some places, curbs have slumped below street level. His street is heavily traveled because of the nearby North Elementary School and athletic fields, he added.
Pompeo presented the petition, signed by about 20 residents of Alverne Drive, Johnston Place and Sheridan Road, to village council Tuesday.
Russell Beatty, village street superintendent, said Johnston Place is soon to be repaved and that his department will improve drainage by cleaning up a ditch and deepening a storm-water retention pond along Sheridan Road.
Hit hard
One of the residents hardest hit by this summer's flooding was Rob Knodle of North Main Street, who said he experienced 12 feet of water in his yard and about 43 inches of water in his basement, requiring him to discard everything in his basement, including his washer and dryer. "My house is the retention pond for the north side of Poland," he complained.
"Unfortunately, the problem here is: You're the lowest point, and the catch basin's in your front yard," Beatty replied. Part of the flooding problem on Island Drive was caused by a hubcap that was swept into and blocked part of a sewer, and the hubcap has since been removed, he explained. "The catch basins are taking water,'' he added.
Councilman William Dunnavant said the areas hardest hit with flooding included Sheridan Road, Canavan, Island and Alverne drives, and Johnston Place.
On Aug. 9, the village got 31/2 inches of rain in about 90 minutes, according to the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency, Beatty said. In a previous four-day period this summer, the stretch from Poland to Canfield got between 10 and 17 inches of rain, he said EMA reported.
Mayor Ruth Wilkes said council's streets, sidewalks and drainage committee should soon discuss and make recommendations concerning storm-water drainage improvements. Dunnavant said the village should obtain advice from an engineering consultant on this matter.