Rosedale Storm Drain Improvements – Phase II
Ramsey Park Staging
Construction Starting Late January 2011
Meet the Contractor and Project Team
6:45pm, January 24, Yarborough Library
As first announced in Spring 2009, the The City of Austin will undertake a major infrastructure project in Rosedale in the near future. The Rosedale Neighborhood Association (RNA) wants all residents and businesses in the area to be fully aware of the planned construction.
We are very fortunate to have this major flood control and water quality project designed, funded, and built this quickly by the City of Austin. Many Austin neighborhoods experiencing these same problems are still waiting for their turn to have their problems addressed in a comprehensive plan. But, the construction means some inconvenience and frustration for a while and will limit our use of one part of Ramsey Park for the duration of project. The City is maintaining an official Website for us, Rosedale Storm Drain Improvements – Phase II
Reason for the infrastructure construction — flood control. In 2005, the City of Austin developed a comprehensive plan to upgrade the outdated and inadequate storm water and drainage infrastructure in Rosedale. Many homes in Rosedale had experienced flooding and many streets and yards also flooded because the storm drains were inadequate. The whole plan was designed and scheduled to be implemented in two phases. Phase I of this upgrade was completed in 2007. Phase 2 construction is starting in near future.
Money for Ramsey Park if the park is used as staging area. The northeast corner of Ramsey Park will be used as the staging area, mitigation fees will be paid, and the city will dedicate that money to financing various improvements to Ramsey Park. The city representatives estimate that the total amount of the fees would be about $200,000. The neighborhood will have the opportunity to work with the area parks manager to select the park improvements, and the RNA would seek neighborhood input about what kind of park improvements would be most beneficial to the neighborhood and about setting priorities for those improvements. A few ideas that have been mentioned in the past are: a landscape irrigation system around the pool; renovation of the restrooms at the pool; creation of sidewalk areas specifically for use by children bicyclists and tricyclists; tennis court resurfacing; and pavilion improvements.
City Announcement The City of Austin just sent the following information in a postcard to adjacent residents:
City of Austin Watershed Protection
Construction Starting Soon on the Rosedale Storm Drain Project
Construction will begin in late January on a 18-month project to upgrade the storm drain system in the Rosedale neighborhood. Most of the work consists of installing pipes and culverts underneath streets, installing curbside inlets, and replacing water and wastewater lines. The work will mostly take place on the following streets:
Burnet Rd.
Lewis Ln.
W. 40th, 42nd, 44th, 46th and 47th St.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to undertake this type of major construction project without disruption to the neighborhood. The northeast corner of Ramsey Park will be used for staging construction equipment, although the majority of the park will remain open. In addition, please expect lane and street closures, noise from construction equipment and trimming of trees overhanging the streets under construction.
We appreciate your patience during this project!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Answers about the Project
Q:What about using a privately owned vacant lot for the staging area instead of Ramsey Park?
Q:What will be inaccessible at the park if the staging area is located there?
Q:What about the softball, soccer, and other field games?
Q:Will the sidewalk be available during the construction?
Q:Will there be a vote by the entire neighborhood and how is the city collecting information about the wishes of the Rosedale neighbors?
Q:What would happen if Rosedale residents chose to strongly oppose using Ramsey Park as a staging area?
Q:How would the mitigation funds, which are estimated to exceed $200,000, to be used if Ramsey Park is used as the staging area?
Q: What about using a privately owned vacant lot for the staging area instead of Ramsey Park?
A: Different lots have been identified but each is too small. One acre is the minimum area needed for safe staging. Typical Rosedale lots are between one-eighth and one-sixth of an acre. There is no other site large enough and close enough. Also, the city has a policy that it will use an area only once for staging, so some locations that have been used recently as staging areas for other projects have been ruled out.
Q:What will be inaccessible at the park if the staging area is located there?
A: All areas and everything in the park will be safely accessible during the staging except for the outfield area of the softball field. The staging area will be fenced and the fencing will be woven or covered with fabric.
Q:What about the softball, soccer, and other field games?
A: The field will be unavailable for use for the duration of the project, which is estimated to be 15 months. That’s a huge loss for the neighborhood. In exchange for loss of the field, mitigation funds in an amount estimated to exceed $200,000 will be made available for improvements to Ramsey Park. It appears that, for most people, whether they can accept the loss of the ball field during the project depends on whether they think receiving the mitigation funds for Ramsey Park improvements is a good trade-off for losing the field during the project.
In conversations with several members of softball teams that use the ball field, we were told that some teams are willing to relocate temporarily to other nearby fields during the construction process, and they want to be included in the later discussions about setting priorities for the mitigation funds. Their recommendation is to spend part of the mitigation funds to improve the ball field, including the infield and outfield. Some other softball teams are opposed to the staging being at Ramsey Park. In their eyes, the loss of the field during the project would not be offset by any improvements that might be made later.
Q:Will the sidewalk be available during the construction?
A: The sidewalk at the northeast corner of the park and along the 4300 block of Burnet Road will probably be closed for safety reasons during the staging period.
Q:Will there be a vote by the entire neighborhood and how is the city collecting information about the wishes of the Rosedale neighbors?
A: The city sponsors a voting process when a project will permanently change the neighborhood, such as the traffic calming project. In the case of a staging area, a vote will not be held since the staging is a temporary use of a park that is owned by the City of Austin. The city staff has the authority to use the park as a staging area but has generously approached the RNA to distribute information about the use of the park as a staging area and to collect feedback from neighbors about what can be done to make this whole process run as smoothly as possible.
The city could plan the staging area without input from Rosedale residents but it has chosen to work in cooperation with the neighbors. During the process to designate a staging area, all neighbors are free, of course, to voice their opinions.
The RNA has sponsored two neighborhood meetings at which the city representatives were present and held discussions with neighbors who attended. The information describing the plans for using the park as a staging area has been posted on the listserv and was also printed in a newsletter that was hand delivered to residences. That newsletter is now posted on the RNA website. We gathered opinions from the listserv and meetings. What we have found so far is that a few people are opposed to establishing the staging area in Ramsey Park. However, most people making a comment feel that, although they regret the adverse impact the staging area will have on the park and residents, they believe that Ramsey Park and Rosedale residents would greatly benefit by the park improvements that would be financed with the mitigation funds. Many residents have said that they love the park and use it heavily and that the mitigation money could pay for improvements that otherwise might never be accomplished.
If Ramsey Park is used as the staging area, all residents would be given an opportunity at a later date to participate in setting the priorities for park improvements.
Q:What would happen if Rosedale residents chose to strongly oppose using Ramsey Park as a staging area?
A: This question was asked at the last meeting. The city feels like it has exhausted the search for alternative staging areas, so the city staff would review their findings and then in all probability would abandon the Rosedale Phase II Stormwater Drain Project for the near term and, perhaps, for a very long while.
We have to give some thought to whether the following comments have merit: It is very difficult to think about flooding in the middle of a drought. However, the flooding problem in Rosedale is real and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. During heavy rains before the drought, several homes flooded, some yards and streets were full of water, and a few street storm drain covers were pushed off by the flow of the water. If sufficient opposition to the staging area develops, the city might abandon Phase II in Rosedale for years, which would deny relief to the residents who face the possibility of flooding each time heavy rains fall. Many other neighborhoods in Austin are waiting for their flood control phases to be addressed. If Rosedale neighbors cause the city to abandon this project, we have been told by the city staff that our flood-control measures would probably go to the bottom of the priority list and Phase II would be delayed for many years. Phase I of this project has been completed and was a success in eliminating the flooding of identified residences.
Q:How would the mitigation funds, which are estimated to exceed $200,000, to be used if Ramsey Park is used as the staging area?
A: Everyone in Rosedale and others who use Ramsey Park will be affected by the location of the staging area in the park. We especially acknowledge the negative effects that will be felt by the neighbors nearest to the park. However, the question becomes whether you accept the proposed trade-off. In other words, do you not think it is an acceptable trade-off to lose the use of the baseball outfield for 15 months in return for over $200,000 in mitigation money designated for improving Ramsey Park and the completion of a project that is designed to alleviate flooding in parts of Rosedale. Many improvements could be made to the park with the mitigation money. Many possible improvements have already been suggested by neighbors, including some of those neighbors who would be most affected by the staging area. At the RNA meetings, the Parks Department seems to be excited about having money to spend on Ramsey Park. The Parks Department is well aware of how much Rosedale neighbors love Ramsey Park, and they know it is highly unlikely that the city budget will provide funds for improving the park anytime in the near future. The city staff realizes that many of the improvements and updates that are being suggested for Ramsey Park could be funded with this money.