To: Carol Hamilton and Ed Schreiner, City Planning
Subject: Hervey Lane Proposed Development - Mitigation of the property's
Artificial Barrier that causes area flooding & Public Street request
Carol & Ed.
This email is a follow up to our conversation concerning
the proposed Hervey Lane development and desired mitigation of the historical
artificial
railroad bed barrier that causes flooding of the neighborhood and hundreds
of homes north of Hervey Lane between Highway 87 / Bird Avenue and between
Minnesota ( to include Willow street ) and Cal Train line next to Fuller
Avenue.
Background:
The Willow Glen federal 1% flood zone starts where Ross Creek joins
the
Guadalupe River and during heavy winter and spring rainstorms the water
from Ross Creek overflows the Guadalupe river and floods the surrounding
neighborhoods. The flood waters flow down neighborhood streets primarily
on the west side of the river since there are few places where the flow
waters can flow back to the river.
These artificially or naturally built up areas between
the flooded neighborhood streets and the river result in the flood waters
continuing to flow north flooding additional Willow Glen neighborhoods
and homes. The Willow Glen Spur rail roadbed when it was constructed
was built above the flood plain and it artificially diverts the flood
waters further north up Hervey Lane to the intersection of Minnesota
where the flood waters flood across Minnesota continuing to flood more
neighborhoods and homes.
The residents in the neighborhoods north of the intersection
of Minnesota and Hervey Lane have numerous times expressed their desire
that the any proposed development on the Willow Glen Spur rail roadbed
be grading to reduce this artificial barrier's height so that the flood
water could flow back to the Guadalupe River and potentially not flood
their neighborhoods.
This reduction of the artificial barrier was not possible while the
railroad used the railroad tracks.
There would seem to be a least 2 possible solutions:
1) regrade the Santa
Clara Valley Water District property adjacent to the Guadalupe River
at the southeast corner of the property so that the flood waters could
drain back into the Guadalupe River and 2) grading the proposed public
street toward the river away from Hervey Lane. This regrading would
make it possible for the flood waters to drain back into the Guadalupe
River. If this is not done the flood waters would continue for years
to flow down neighborhood streets around the artificial railroad bed
barrier and flood additional homes north of Harvey Lane since there
is not a path for the flood waters to flow back to the river.
It is my understanding that the proposed public street
be graded towards
Hervey Lane making the neighborhood flooding situation worst rather
than allowing the flood waters to drain back into the river. The regrading's
excessive dirt could be used to raise the proposed development's home
foundations above the flood plain while the public street would be lower.
The proposed Upper Guadalupe River flood control project will take 12-15
or
more years to complete while this regrading of the Hervey Lane proposed
development would immediately prevent some and possibly most of the
flooding of the neighborhoods north of Hervey Lane caused by the overflowing
of Ross Creek. If this regarding was designed properly it would contribute
to a Willow Glen area flow control plan.
We would like to resolve this regrading / flooding
issue prior to the next
public meeting so it does not become the focus of the meeting.
Ed
408-297-2800
PS The neighborhood residents strongly prefer a public street not a
private
street for public safety and trail access that would avoid any future
access
disputes between the proposed development home owners. Please make both
the flood issue and the public street request part of the public comments
for
this proposed development.
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