Drainage is a frequent issue in Bridge City. The community is surrounded by a marsh, a bayou, and a river. The City Council this week heard complaints about drainage at two locations in the city, the area near the Marsh Estates and the other adjacent to the Community Center.
Kenneth and Peggy Prosperie live on Sunnyside Drive near the Community Center and are concerned about the effects on drainage of a proposed housing project planned for their neighborhood. They have started a petition in an attempt to block the city approving rezoning the neighborhood to allow the building of apartments near Sunnyside.
Peggy has visited with many of her neighbors and said at least 95 percent of those she spoke to are against the area being rezoned high density residential to allow the construction of apartments there. Kenneth explained, “This giant footprint will affect our drainage for our neighborhood, the safety of the children and families in our neighborhood, traffic, flooding, and overpopulating one small area. This is right across from the Little League, which should be the safest place for the children.”
Barry Foster lives on Charlotte Lane near the Marsh Estates subdivision. He said his property previously had no problem with drainage even during the heavy rainfall last September from Hurricane Imelda. Foster added something has changed in the drainage over the last year as the rain storm on June 20 caused the water to come up very fast on his street.
The water was ankle deep in front of Foster’s home and overflowed onto his driveway. The street did not begin to drain until after the rain stopped and it took four hours to recede according to Foster.
The only changes in his neighborhood since he purchased his home in January 2019 is the building of Marsh Estates and two retention ponds. A nearby concrete ditch has dirt and silt accumulated at that the bottom which has allowed grass to grow in it.
Foster admitted he does not know what needs to be done. “I think we’re on the third developer of Marsh Estates, and I don’t know if they’re following everything that was agreed upon when the first developer started the project or not, I just know something needs to be done or I need to know whose name to put on the lawsuit,” Foster stated.
City Manager Jerry Jones indicated Bridge City is looking into both complaints starting with Sunnyside Drive which still had the water retained within the ditches as designed and there is nothing the city can do there right now. “We have a crew out looking at the drainage ditch near Mr. Foster’s home which caused the backup. The Drainage District is also working with us on cleaning those major outfalls going out toward the marsh so those things are being addressed at this time,” Jones concluded.
Peggy Prosperie said the city will consider the zoning change for Sunnyside Drive to allow the building of the apartments at the August 3 meeting of the City Council. She plans to have a petition with 300 signatures of citizens opposed to the building of apartments there.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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