Over six inches of rain fell in a very short period of time two weeks ago in Orange County. The heavy downpours caused street flooding in areas that had not seen high water in many years.
Pinehurst City Administrator Robbie Hood said one of those areas effected in his city was the Camelot addition. Hood indicated that several properties being flooded spurred Pinehurst Code Enforcement Officer Harry Vine to contact the Corps of Engineers about a drainage problem in that area. A project manager will come visit with Hood to discuss the city’s drainage concerns. Hood’s questions for the Corps are why is it considered wetlands and why are wetlands considered more valuable than property and life.
The problem concerns a portion of Park Avenue near 35th Street is designated a wetlands area by the Corps. The designation of the area as wetlands has prevented the Orange County Drainage District from properly dredging the area to remove buildup. The result according to Hood is the water backs up into the West Park and onto the properties of several residents in that area. “I want a determination of what’s being protected in there and what we have to do to get that taken care of,” Hood concluded.
Hood emphasizes he and Pinehurst are not requesting that any of the wetlands be remediated, but just want the ditches cleaned out so the water properly flows to Adams Bayou. Hood concluded that the city might address another solution to the issue using underground storm water drainage at a later date.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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