City OKs construction of retention pond

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The Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners has approved building a retention pond off Kensington Road in the city’s northeast sector. Estimated cost is $557,250.

Lawrenceville-based The Dickerson Group will construct new infrastructure, including a pond and underground drainage piping to capture storm water and direct it away from residences whose property often flood during heavy rains.

The Kensington runoff problem was first identified about 10 years ago, around the time DeKalb County handed over maintenance of Avondale’s storm water infrastructure to the city.

“The city’s entire storm water system is inadequate,” said City Manager Patrick Bryant. “That isn’t unusual in any city. Storm water is never ending. This is a decades-long task.”

Indeed, in the next year the city hopes to complete a storm water master plan that includes identifying the most critical runoff issues and infrastructure needs.

Bryant said he hopes work on the Kensington Road project begins this month. He said he doesn’t know how long it will take.

The BOMC still hasn’t decided how to pay for Kensington. The project is eligible for financing through a bond anticipation note, which the city closed on last month. The BAN gives the city the ability to borrow money for specifically identified projects, including Kensington, without the voter approval required by a general obligation bond.

The maximum Avondale can borrow with the BAN is $8.4 million and it must be repaid in entirety by Dec. 31, 2022.