Solutions for the Capricorn Drive Water Problem

Admin
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Solutions for the Capricorn Drive Water Problem Feb 9, 2018 9:19:57 GMT -7

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Post by Admin on Feb 9, 2018 9:19:57 GMT -7

Capricorn Drive Water Problems
From Venus Way to Gemini Road

The above satellite map photo shows the landscape between Venus Way and Gemini Road intersecting with the gravel portion of Capricorn Drive in North Glastonbury. Please note that parcel 11-E is outlined in red. This parcel is situated at the bottom most section of Capricorn Hill, where water runoff flows across the road causing a swath of swampy conditions in this landowner’s yard. Demarcated boundaries of other local properties are in yellow.

West is upward on this aerial photo. The surrounding topography includes the high hills of Venus Way and Mercury Lane on one side, and Gemini Road on the other. The hilly landscape slopes downward towards Capricorn Drive. Consequently, water from melting snow naturally flows down the hillsides, converging and settling in the lowest possible place. Were it not for the roadside ditches, and somewhat elevated roadbed, even more water would flood onto Capricorn Drive. Some of the runoff is channeled under Capricorn Drive via existing culverts. Unfortunately, a culvert was never installed at the very bottom of Capricorn Hill. This particular location is the lowest part of the road. It captures runoff from several hundred feet of ditches along Capricorn Drive.

In the above photo you can see the water runoff flowing down the west side of Capricorn Drive towards Capricorn Hill. The water flows through a driveway culvert, but then collects in the ditch upon reaching the lowest point on the west side of the road. The “pond” then overflows, runs east across Capricorn Road, flooding onto parcel 11-E. Please note in the photograph below, the downward slant of the roadbed.

Above is a close-up photo of the overflowing pond in the ditch showing the direction of the water flow across Capricorn Drive. Vehicles are creating potholes, and also tracking water down the road. The potholes continue to collect water and the saturated roadbed starts to speedily disintegrate

Capricorn Drive is soaked from edge to edge at a length of 100 feet down the road. Ponding water is creating a slippery mess for drivers along with rapidly destroying the gravel roadbed. Furthermore, the landowner on 11-E has a flooded front yard that has resulted in an unhealthy environment for her dogs and kennel. She and her pets have to traipse through the mud and constantly clean up the mucky residue.

An under the road culvert is desperately needed to channel runoff from the low spot on the west side pond to the lower east side of Capricorn Drive. It is a project that should have been completed when the roads were originally installed, and all of the property belonged to the developer; Church Universal and Triumphant. To preserve our road, this quagmire must be corrected as soon as possible. The GLA will need to seek permission and ask for an easement from the property owner(s) that are on the east side of this drainage path.

As shown below, the lowest point across from the overflowing pond on the east side of Capricorn Drive is in front of parcel 11-D.

A culvert could be installed under Capricorn Drive from the overflowing pond to the left side of the driveway that serves parcels 11-E and 11-D. The driveway should be raised to at least the same height as Capricorn Drive, and a ditch should be dug down the left side. The ditch could follow the natural drainage as far as the parked truck at the end of the driveway. At that point, the natural drainage turns left and goes towards a well.

It would be best to install a buried culvert starting at the end of the driveway and running for about 100 linear feet underneath a small rise. At that point, the hill on the property gently slopes down for about 100 feet, and levels out to rich bottom land. Currently, gardens are planted there, and with some added moisture, they would undoubtedly flourish.

Another solution is to channel the runoff water under Capricorn Drive, and then dig a deep ditch and culvert line up the east side of the road. Because of the rise in elevation, the culverts may have to be 15 to 20 feet under the ground before water will flow to the next natural drainage spot, which is about 500 feet down Capricorn Drive. That would require an engineer and could get very expensive.

Down from parcel 11-D on the east side of Capricorn Drive, there is a driveway that lacks the culvert required by the GLA Road Standards. Water has ponded on both sides of it and is visibly damaging Capricorn Drive and the private driveway itself.

The Administrator, Tim Brockett, is also a Director on the Glastonbury Landowners Association Board. The opinions expressed on the Forum are his own and may or may not coincide with the views of the GLA Board.

Deleted
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Solutions for the Capricorn Drive Water Problem Feb 9, 2018 12:35:57 GMT -7

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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 12:35:57 GMT -7

Administrator, your kidding right? What happened to Sandoval’s water issue? I’m not an engineer but I thought this was a landowner issue and was decided that GLA was not to be involved? Didn’t 2 engineers say a pond on Sandoval’s side take care of the issue, again a landowner problem?

I would think GLA should deal with possibly raising the road bed and not getting involved with trespassing on private property? Where does the ditch end and does it cause problems for someone else? A long ditch was dug on our families property (without permission) and that was at a point on our property that did not disturb anything and not visible from our house. Plus, a flat area was made for a road grader to park that took away a natural water ditch along Gemini. When GLA gets to involved it can at times “create” more problems.

What your talking about is way, way over the line as far as the GLA getting involved is concerned. What’s next? Where does it stop? We’ve traveled this section of the road for going on 14 years and this is by far the worst I’ve seen in the last couple of years. So, what’s the cause? Development. What happens to other problems that arise from more development, is GLA going to get involved?

GLA is responsible for the road itself, raise it up and let each landowner deal with their own water problem. Channeling water under the road and ditches onto private property seems to be obtrusive on the part of GLA and who is going to pay for it? Let’s get real here we will never get our roads up to standard, they were done on the cheap. Landowners need to solve their problems and GLA needs to do the best they can with what they have to work with. Raising the road bed seems to be the least intrusive and less costly.

Maybe it sounds to simplistic but I don’t like the idea of ditching through private property, let the owners decide what to do after the road is raised and protected.

Sally

Admin
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Solutions for the Capricorn Drive Water Problem Feb 9, 2018 20:18:36 GMT -7

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Post by Admin on Feb 9, 2018 20:18:36 GMT -7

Thank-you Sally for your thoughtful comments and questions. Many landowners may have questions as to why the portion of Capricorn Drive from Gemini to Venus Way has so many potholes. It was only last spring that landowners paid for 18 loads of road mix, grading and rolling on that section of road. What happened they are probably asking.

Last year the Road Committee discussed the water issue and came to the conclusion that the water was a landowner issue. Thus the GLA should not be involved. A few months later a ditch was dug along both sides of Capricorn Drive to prevent water from undermining the roadbed. As snow melted in the 2018 January thaw water started to run over Capricorn Drive in the same general area as last year. Upon close inspection it was discovered that water was flowing down the slopes of all parcels between Gemini Road and Venus Way. A good portion of that water was collected by the new west side ditch and flowed to the lowest spot on Capricorn Drive and then across the road. At that point it became obvious that this was no longer the problem of water flowing off a single landowner's property but rather a problem involving multiple landowners.

Before Capricorn was built water flowed down the hillsides between where Venus Way and Gemini Road are today and then continued towards where Golden Age Village (GAV) is now. In fact there is a rich deposit of water deposited soil at the bottom of the hill by GAV that is currently used as a productive garden. When Capricorn was installed the road acted like a dam and blocked water travel down to GAV. A cross road culvert was installed before Venus but one was never installed by the base of Capricorn Hill. The cross and under the road culvert by Venus Way allows water to travel under the road and flow into a natural drainage on the east side.

If a cross road culvert were originally installed by Capricorn hill it would most likely have emptied into parcel 11-D and 11-E where a natural drainage path exists.

Capricorn's roadbed could be raised but that would just build a taller dam. Water would still pond by the base of the hill and eventually would undermine the roadbed and/or cut across the top of the road and flow into the natural drainage on parcels 11-E and 11-D. The landowner who gets a bigger and deeper pond on their property may not be happy with that outcome. All landowners who paid for raising the road might not like it when the roadbed is undermined, gets potholes or simply washes away. The folks who own parcels 11-D and 11-E probably will not be happy either because the flooding will not stop. Water will always seek the lowest level and will travel under the road and flood their yards every winter thaw or early spring.

The water needs to be channeled away from the road and encouraged to move to a lower elevation without damaging landowner property. Normally this is accomplished with ditches, culverts or a combination of the two.

In my opinion the GLA Board is the organization that should take the lead and find a solution that works for everyone. The Board has 12 directors; each is supposed to represent ALL landowners. They also have the power to make binding decisions for our community. And they have the financial resources to bring in professionals to assist them with solutions that are fair and equitable.

All affected landowners must be involved and a solution that satisfies both them and the community should be found. Working together we can find solutions to difficult problems.

Please let me know if you or other readers have questions.

Last Edit: Feb 9, 2018 21:04:23 GMT -7 by Admin

The Administrator, Tim Brockett, is also a Director on the Glastonbury Landowners Association Board. The opinions expressed on the Forum are his own and may or may not coincide with the views of the GLA Board.

Worried
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Solutions for the Capricorn Drive Water Problem Feb 11, 2018 11:24:37 GMT -7

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Post by Worried on Feb 11, 2018 11:24:37 GMT -7

I have heard that two engineers have recommended ponding as the solution here. I heard the work can be done in a way that pushes the pond back from the road far enough to not undermine the road. Someone said 8 feet back is adequate, and that 8 feet does not need to be driveable.

Have other engineers made this new recommendation and has anyone compared the costs? What are they?

There is a battle between landowners going on. Can everything be done in the right of way?

To make decisions in the best interest of all landowners, all the facts and costs should be given to the Board.