With spring rains not too far around the corner, residents on a portion of Lakeview Street in the village are hoping that puddling problems there will soon be resolved.
The Lake Orion Village Council voted on Feb. 13 to have village engineers proceed with soil borings to help determine the problem, at a cost of $2,500, at the recommendation of Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel.
A budget adjustment of $3,000 was approved for the work to be done.
The problem on Lakeview occurs after heavy storms, when water is very slow to drain and collects in areas on private property.
HRC provided a cost estimate for doing soil borings, and then construction of additional leaching basins in the roadway to help alleviate the puddling problem.
Borings were to be done at an average of 15 feet, with one done 10 feet deep, and another until groundwater is hit. The cost estimate was $2,500.
Three leaching basins, three-feet in diameter, would be $15,820.
Van Tassel recommended just borings at this time, to see if there would be any benefit from constructing additional basins.
She said a soil survey was done in the 1980s, but was general in nature and not ‘site specific.?
‘Maybe we should wait to see if the residents can resolve (the problem) themselves,? said council member Michael Toth.
‘I mean (spending) $2,500, when we have a budget crunch…The problem is on private property. Maybe we could wait a couple of months,? he said.
Council member Julie Drabik agreed, saying she would feel more comfortable waiting.
‘Is it the elevation, or is it the garage next door (causing the problem)?? she asked.
Council member Ken Van Portfliet believed the village did have some responsibility for the situation.
‘The elevations have changed,? he said.
‘We can do the soil borings, but if that doesn’t help, the neighbors will have to take over,? said council member Douglas Dendel.