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Campbell officials address stormwater management
CAMPBELL
People who live in and near Campbell’s Pin Oaks development learned why their properties flood in storms and how future development can be managed to prevent similar problems.
Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District representatives told residents at a meeting Wednesday evening that it will work with the city to review plans for developments larger than one acre.
“We look at stormwater pollution prevention plans and make sure best- management practices are in place,” said Kathi Vrable-Bryan, the district administrator.
The district will have preconstruction meetings with developers, and its urban conservationist will inspect a development site as building progresses, she said.
People who have stormwater problems can call the city or the district directly, Vrable-Bryan said. The district will investigate and make a recommendation for mitigation, she said.
“We are now getting runoff from [Pin Oaks] and it’s running into our yard,” said a woman who lives on Struthers-Liberty Road. “If that was inspected, why is it coming our way?”
Another resident told The Vindicator that during heavy rains, streets in Pin Oaks flood so much that cars trying to drive through get swept into yards.
Rich DeLuca, Campbell’s stormwater coordinator, said that when Pin Oaks was developed, the city never sought help from the district.
“It was up to the city to call [the district] and they were never called,” DeLuca said. “I’m recommending now to the mayor and city that we notify them now to inspect and make sure prevention plans are in place.”
DeLuca said after the meeting that the problem in Pin Oaks is from a retention pond that doesn’t have an overflow outlet. He said there is a ditch 300 feet away from the pond, but the two never were connected.
The city now has about $100,000 in state funds to connect the pond to the ditch and route it so it eventually empties into a stream that feeds McKelvey Lake.
Mayor Bill VanSuch said the state will release the money in July, and the project should start in August or September.