Creekview Add PD-CS 890615June 15, 1989
TO: Alan Ratliff, CitynM~nager
FROM: Russell R. Doyle~.,
City
Engineer
II;1~
RE: REQUESTED CITY'S' POSITION IN THE CASE OF WILLIAM JOHNSON'S
CREEKBANK AND THE AERIAL SANITARY SEWER CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE
GRAPEVINE CREEK
The maintenance of two items are involved in this situation. The aerial
sanitary sewer and the creekbank. The aerial sanitary sewer will be
maintained by the City and the creekbank is the responsibility of the
property owner(s). The following is an explanation, as I understand
current City of Coppell's maintenance practices and/or my recoma~endation,
based on generally accepted municipal maintenance practices.
The sewer is a part of the Creekview Addition subdivision improvements and
is built to City standards. (See attached Standard). As of October 28,
1988, the City of Coppell, by letter, accepted the Creekview Addition
subdivision for the maintenance year expiring on October 28, 1989. The
developer has posted a maintenance bond to cover any repairs or
replacements (e.g. aerial sewer) through October 28, 1989. After that
date the maintenance of the aerial sanitary sewer will be the sole
responsibility of the City of Coppell.
According to the current design and construction practices of the City of
Coppell, the aerial sanitary sewer (across the creek] was placed in the
ground along easements for that purpose. The creek banks cross that
easement. All that was and is required by the City of Coppell is that the
contractor/developer backfill or replace the dirt in the trench/creekbank
to certain engineering and construction specifications. A concrete collar
is required around the sewer pipe (see the attached Standard). Bank
stabilization (such as walls, etc...) is not required.
Usually, bank stabilization is required when the stream alignment is
changed. That is not the case here. Only a trench was made.
As I understand, and as the as-built plans exhibit, the bank
"improvements" were placed at the request of Mr. Johnson, and not as a
part of the subdivision plans. Dialogue during that time between the
design engineers for the Creekview Subdivision and Mr. Johnson included,
as I understand, the statements by the design engineer that any
installation of a material difference from the creekbed will cause erosive
conditions, different from the meandering natural erosion of the stream.
The design engineer has provided that in writing. I, as your City
Engineer, concur in that observation.
The City has an easement to maintain the sanitary sewer, not to maintain
the creekbank. These easements provide the ability to enter and maintain
the sewer line. There is no obligation on the part of the City to
"maintain" the creekbanks nor manicure the grass, etc... (see attached
copy of the plat showing the easement for this part of the sewer line).
Standard City policy/practice is that the owner of the private property
is to maintain drainways and creeks that traverse across their
DroPert¥. That is true whether there are easements provided or not.
As exhibited on the attached excerpt from the Creekview Addition
Subdivision plat, there is no floodway/floodplain easement identified on
that plat for property outside of the plat. That land appears to be under
private ownership.
I hope this clearly identifies the situation and provides the City's
position. In my role as ombudsman for each and every Citizen, I continued
to respond to Mr. Johnson even after I've communicated both in writing and
verbally that the City has no responsibility for the creekbank. In the
future, I will do the same, but not respond further unless directed to by
your office.
Additionally, Mr. Johnson said the one column is so close to the bank that
it erodes the bank. The design engineer says its no problem. In my
observation of the situation, ! have no reason to object to the design
engineer's position.
Steve Goram has reviewed and concurs with me on this description of City
Policy.
RRD/lsg
xc: Steve Goram, Director of Public Works
Larry Davis, Construction Inspector
Shohre Daneshmand, Civil Engineer
Dale Jackson, Building Official
CREEK
To: Alan Ratliff, City Mana
From: Tom Morton, Council~
Date: June 8, 1989
Subject: Accelerated Erosion on Grapevine Creek at Sanitary
Sewer.
I received a copy of a letter dated May 31, 1989, to Russell
Doyle, City Engineer, concerning the erosion behind the
residence of Bill Johnson on Meadowcreek.
My quemtion is, where do we stand on the establishment of who
will correct the situation referenced in Mr. Johnson'
letter?
Thank you for the assistance.
.' ~ NORTH
BLOCk B / "
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AERIAL CROSSING DETAIL
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CITY OF. COPPELL, TEXAS
--- DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING
_ 8:,',qeV' STANDARD CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
.... - SANITARY SEWER
AERIAL CROSSING
PIER CAP~ DETAIL £MBEDMENT-AERIAL., t CROSSING
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.P.O. Box~rra
~oppell, Texas 7501g
Re: Creel<view Estates
ND&~ No.: 8Z-5-~2
Dear Russell:
Being in receipt of a letter of April 6, 1989, from Mr. ~even Morton, we have ~eviewed the erosion
control plac~d along the Grapevine Creek bank in the ctty's easement. We find.that the control is
working exactly as expected and protecting the slope of the easement.
As you are aware, we have always maintained that our preference was to keep the banks of the stream
in their natural condition. While this means vertical bank walls end some continual erosion, those are
simply natural stream dynamics.
The expensive and substantial off-site treatment along the creek bank was installed solely at the request
of the neighboring owner, and not as a part of the subdivision plans.
The stream's dynamic nature has always, and will always continue to alter the natura! slopes of the
creek. To attribute any specific slope erosion or slope failure of a vertical slope on the outside bend of a
stream bank after a series of particularly heavy rains to other than stream dynamics would be difficult.
The installed protection worked particularly well during that same heavy flow period.
Sincerely,
NATHA~ D. IVlAIER
CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC.
~athan D. ~aior,
NDM/rdp
Three NorthPark./$100 N Central Expwb,./Suite 3II,Dallas,' T.exe~ ?S231/(214) 730-47~i