Sports park drainage discussed (9/13/04)

Plans to help control storm water run-off at a proposed extreme sports park in a Portland industrial park could help a recurring problem in the area.

A representative of project developer Glynn Barber told Jay County Commissioners this morning that he is willing to consider the possibility of constructing a new stormwater detention pond as part of the project.

And that pond, which is preliminarily proposed in an area between Qualtech Tool & Engineering and Oakwood Mobile Home Park, could ease problems with surface water in Oakwood and other locations in the area.

Craig Adolph, who is working as a consultant for Barber on the extreme sports park, at first proposed a detention pond in the northwest corner of the site, which is located on the north side of county road 100 North, just east of U.S. 27. That location would have been to the north and east from Oakwood.

“If we don’t catch this water (flowing from the north to the south along the west edge of the industrial park and to the east of Oakwood) it’s going to back up, and we’ll have a mess,” Adolph said.

“You already do,” Jay County surveyor Brad Daniels told Adolph.

The commissioners reviewed preliminary drainage plans for the project, but took no action. They asked Adolph to work with Daniels and bring back final plans for consideration.

The project, which includes race tracks for motorcycles and go-karts, paintball and other activities, is currently being reviewed by Portland zoning officials as a planned unit development. The Portland Planning Commission is expected to give a recommendation on final proposed plans tonight. The request will then move to the Portland City Council.

Adolph asked the commissioners what he should tell the planning commission about drainage. Commissioners’ attorney Brad Burkett said the actions by the drainage board and the planning commission are separate. The project will require the approval of both the council and drainage board to move forward.

Burkett also said the commissioners did not have enough information about the drainage plans to make any kind of motion or take a vote at the present time.

Adolph said his two main areas of concern in terms of drainage for the property are the northwest and northeast corners. A motorcycle track is proposed for the northwest corner, east of Oakwood, while a 3/8-mile race track is in the plans for the northeast corner.

Adolph said there is approximately 10 feet of elevation change, or fall, from the north edge of the industrial park to county road 100 North.

Robert Burkey, who owns a piece of farm ground to the west of the industrial park and south of Oakwood, talked to the commissioners this morning about a surface water problem in the area prior to Adolph’s arrival.

Burkey said that someone had filled in the side ditches along a former railroad right-of-way that runs to the north and south through the industrial park. That stopped the flow of surface water from the north to south, and caused water to back up and then flow to the west.

Surface water flows from the north to the south along the old railroad bed all the way from county road 300 North into Portland. That water has caused persistent problems with flooding in Oakwood and in a farm field on the east side of U.S. 27 just north of Portland.[[In-content Ad]]