Drainage issues stall Sugar Creek Estates

Bates and Associates will take the plans for Sugar Creek Estates back to the drawing board to see what would be the best way to handle the drainage issues with the proposed project.

According to the drainage report completed by professional engineer Geoff Bates on June 22, the runoff from the basin flows from south to north and enters Sugar Creek shortly after, the report states.

When the drainage is developed, it will be conveyed by storm drain to the north of the property. All of the storm water from the subdivision will be directed to the streets and the storm system will convey it to the tributary, according to

the report.

There were a few issues which the engineering firm ran into including problems with the sewer system lines for the development which are slated to run 34 feet below the finished grade, according to utilities inspector Mike Nida. Typical sewer easements are 20 feet wide based on the center of the pipe, allowing 10 feet on either side of the pipe, Nida said, explaining that a wider easement is required for deeper lines, requiring a 70-feet easement on a 34-feet deep line, therefore pushing back setbacks and making lots involved unbuildable.

Deep lines like the ones proposed for Sugar Creek Estates need to be benched back to ensure the safety of personnel and stay in compliance with OSHA and the Department of Labor Safety Policies, Nida said, explaining that “benched back” is the process of digging a trench wider at the top. Another problem is sewer lines that deep are difficult to maintain, Nida said. Sewer lines do not follow the lay of the land but instead have to follow slopes, he said.

“They were wanting it to fall to one point and pump it back to a certain feet back,” Nida said, explaining that the plans called for gravity flow to a central location and the wastewater could then be pumped back to another point to discharge into another line on the system.

Bates said he would add a second lift station which will help the flow in the sewer lines for the development. One of the problems Bates has run into is the terrain on Peck Road, he said.

“It’s just the terrain is so tough there,” Bates said. “It’s not the normal terrain. This is not normal Pea Ridge, this thing’s got some up and down.”

Another issue facing Sugar Creek Estates is the development is located in a floodplain which will lead to the requirement of elevation certificates for each lot based on flood elevation, Tony Townsend, city building official. Several existing houses on Peck Road already have elevation certificates.

Bates will also have to reach out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to dump water into Sugar Creek because it is federally governed water, Townsend said.

“Well, it looks like we have a few things to work out before we bring this back,” Bates said.