BOARDMAN Officials target flood woes

About 250 homes in the township were affected by the flooding in 2003.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Results from a township study of flooding are in, but more discussion is needed before any decisions on courses of action are made.
Trustees plan to hold a second workshop to address the study and any public concerns at 5 p.m. March 8 at the township government center. A regular trustees meeting will follow.
Dozens of residents turned out to the Boardman Center Middle School auditorium Thursday evening for a three-hour discussion. All were anxious to see the three maps on flooding that township employees spent the last six months putting together.
About the maps
The first map pinpoints township residents who have had problems with flooding. The second map shows where retention ponds maintained by the township are, and several locations where more could be added.
A third map shows where major infrastructure projects have been completed and where more projects may be needed to improve the system. Trustees and other officials will discuss the third map and part of the second map at the next meeting.
Township Administrator Curt Seditz briefly discussed the first map. About 175 residents are included on the list. The federal government, however, declared that about 250 homes in the township were affected by the flooding.
Seditz said the map shows a number of "hot spots" affected more than others in the flooding, including the northern section of Southern Boulevard, Glenwood south of U.S. Route 224, and areas north of Boardman Plaza.
The second map pinpoints 15 retention systems sporadically placed throughout the township that are maintained by the township.
Explaining systems
Road Superintendent Gary Dawson explained how the systems work and said some of those systems did overflow with the heavy rains of 2003; for the most part, they worked as expected. He said there are dozens of other retention systems in the township that are privately maintained.
The second map also showed 14 prospective places where officials would like to install additional retention systems. Of these areas, only two are owned and controlled by the township. The remaining 12 are controlled by private parties, the public school system and Mill Creek Park.
For those areas proposed for retention not owned by the township, Seditz said the township would have to ask the owners to consider allowing retention on their property.
Seditz said it is impossible to know how much all the upgrades will cost.
"Until we get the engineers estimates, it's hard to say, but we are talking in the millions," he said. "There are some long-term financial decisions that the trustees will have to engage in discussing."
Glenwood Avenue resident Kim Deemer said she has had problems with flooding for years. She is hopeful that something meaningful comes out of the study and discussion, but said she saw nothing in the plans that would solve her problems.
Bob Hughes, of Sherwood Forest, said new development has meant more water coming onto his property. He too said he saw nothing in the plans that would address his problems.
jgoodwin@vindy.com