By Susan Carroll

Review Writer

The Lake Orion village council voted to become a member of the WaterTowns Initiative and to resolve the ongoing Lakeview Street drainage problems dispute during its meeting June 25.

WaterTowns Participation

The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) presented a WaterTowns Initiative during the meeting, with council members voting unanimously to become a member.

Becoming a member allows the village to formally participate in the initiative; and to show village support for the Clinton River.

The village will work together with residents, businesses and other organizations to manage the watershed, the blue economy, tourism and green infrastructure.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. Green infrastructure refers to the patchwork of natural areas that provides habitat, flood protection, cleaner air and water. Green infrastructure refers to storm water management systems that mimic nature by soaking and storing water.”

CRWC, with no cost to the village, will prepare a conceptual site plan, suggesting green infrastructure improvements with an artistic rendering of the plan; storm water volume reduction estimates; and the cost to make the above happen.

CRWC states that grants and in-kind assistance is available to aid the financial impact to the village — if the village chooses to accept their suggested improvements.

Drainage on Lakeview

The village approved the motion to authorize $52,660 from the local street account for the Lakeview Drive storm water contract. The contract was awarded to Strata Underground Construction Company.

There have been various proposals on how to rectify the ongoing flooding problem on the street. The approved plan is to install an overflow outlet to divert the drainage from the street to an open culvert past Recreation Street that drains into Lake Orion at the end of Algene Street.

Hubbel Roth & Clark, village engineering consultants, had previously assessed a proposal to run a storm drain pipe underground and then drain into the lake.

It was determined by Jeremy Richert, public works director for the village, that the water in an open culvert would drain and pool on Recreation Street — which leads to the outlet into the lake at Algene.

Draining directly to the lake has been a big objection of the property owners throughout this process, and the dispute has gone on for more than a year on how flooding on Lakeview Street would be resolved.