"Joe Robinson, head of the Office of the City Engineer, said his office has documented three occasions of flooding on Hargrove Road in the past three months. He said he thinks they’re all linked to the Woodlands development.
Until the development was built, Robinson said the last time he recalled flooding across Hargrove Road near Snow Hinton Park was in 1979.
"Frederic, in 1979, dumped heavy rainfall across much of the eastern United States: 8 to 12 inches (.3 m) of rain fell from Pascagoula to Mobile, and 2-4 inches fell along the hurricane's path as far as New England. Over a dozen tornadoes were also reported in Frederic's wake. However, these had minimal impact.[8]
“We’re going to withhold a certificate of occupancy from the building until we feel they have this problem resolved ... (and) I am satisfied,” Robinson said."
Joe Robinson was satisfied when he signed the plans against MANY resident objections and comments about future flooding and traffic. The City Planners and City engineer need to be replaced ASAP. They are the biggest flooding and erosion control problem we have in Tuscaloosa.
Tuscaloosa has some serious problems. Most of them work in City Hall!
New complex on hold until flooding issue resolved
Residents on Hargrove Road say street washouts are causing hassles
Michelle Lepianka Carter | Tuscaloosa News
Tuscaloosa Police block off part of Hargrove Road in front of The Woodlands of Tuscaloosa development near Snow Hinton Park on May 20 as water rushes over the road during a storm.
Published: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, July 19, 2010 at 11:08 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, July 19, 2010 at 11:08 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | The Woodlands of Tuscaloosa on Hargrove Road is being built as an upscale, 209-unit apartment complex for college students.
Flooding
In the past three months, there were three occasions of flooding in the Hargrove Road area. Office of the City Engineer head Joe Robinson said he thinks the flooding is linked to The Woodlands student apartment complex.
Until the problem is resolved, Robinson said he will withhold a certificate of occupancy from the complex, barring anyone from moving in.
But the development won’t be able to house a single student until its builders figure out how to stop thousands of gallons of storm water from gushing across Hargrove Road during heavy rains.
Until the problem is resolved, Robinson said he will withhold a certificate of occupancy from the complex, barring anyone from moving in.
But the development won’t be able to house a single student until its builders figure out how to stop thousands of gallons of storm water from gushing across Hargrove Road during heavy rains.
The city of Tuscaloosa’s Office of the City Engineer said Monday, after an emergency meeting with officials with the Dovetail Companies, the company building the 39-acre development next to Snow Hinton Park, it intended to withhold a certificate of occupancy until the flood problems are fixed.
Joe Robinson, head of the Office of the City Engineer, said his office has documented three occasions of flooding on Hargrove Road in the past three months. He said he thinks they’re all linked to the Woodlands development.
Until the development was built, Robinson said the last time he recalled flooding across Hargrove Road near Snow Hinton Park was in 1979.
“We’re going to withhold a certificate of occupancy from the building until we feel they have this problem resolved ... (and) I am satisfied,” Robinson said.
Messages left with the CEO and media relations contact for the Athens, Ga.-based Dovetail Companies on Monday afternoon went unreturned.
The most recent of the washouts occurred Friday afternoon, when more than 2 inches of rain fell across Tuscaloosa, according to the National Weather Service.
Barry Ragland lives in a red brick house on Elmira Drive, less than 100 yards from the entrance to The Woodlands development.
While Friday’s flooding didn’t cause serious problems to his property, a similar flood event from about a month ago washed limbs and debris through two fences in his backyard. The water rose high enough to overrun his storage unit, ruining clothes and other items.
“I grew up in this area,” said Ragland, 53, “and I’ve never seen it flood like that.”
He said his neighbors also have incurred property damage from flooding on Hargrove Road.
The property, which was previously an open field, was rezoned in 2008 to accommodate the residential development, the first hurdle the developers needed to clear before the project could proceed, despite concerns from officials with the Office of the City Engineer regarding increases in flooding and traffic. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-1 in favor of rezoning the land.
Robinson said the development’s design that was presented to the Office of the City Engineer before construction took the floodway into account.
“Now we’re just asking them to review the construction to ensure it was constructed as designed,” he said.
Loop Road resident Heather Hastings said she has been re-routed during each flood while trying to get home.
“It’s just a wall of water,” she said of the flooding. “You go through the light (at Snow Hinton Park) thinking you’re going to get home and the next thing you see is police cars.”
Tuscaloosa Police officers have routed motorists trying to head east on Hargrove Road into Snow Hinton Park, then onto 10th Avenue East and back out onto McFarland Boulevard.
Hastings said she then has to drive up to Kicker Road, which on Friday was also backed up as a result of the detour.
“This is causing a problem for a lot of people,” she said.
Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-020
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