FS9903-CS 950123PO. Box 478
Coppell, Texas 75019
214-462-0022
January 23, 1995
Dayton Macatee
Macatee Engineering, Inc.
P.O. Box 12617
Dallas, TX 75225
Re: Fill Study/northwest corner of Riverchase at MacArthur Blvd., south of Sandy Lake Road
Dear Mr. Macatee:
In late 1994, a study was processed to the City of Coppell regarding fill and the construction of
a channel along property generally located south of Sandy Lake and east of MacArthur Blvd.
Your submittal letter indicated that you were working on a "mass grading plan" and that it
would be submitted in a week or two. As of this date, the City has not received any overall
grading plan for this proposed development. Obviously, that overall grading plan is critical in
determining the amount of fill to be placed on this property along with other adjacent properties.
You may also recall that, we talked about the fact that this fill operation would have to
transverse not only your property but property to the south to insure that the water has a place
to drain during flooding.
I have made a courtesy review of the study and note several areas of concern:
Your narrative of the study indicate that it will be a grass lined channel. Please note that
the City is currently experiencing problems with grass lined channels within the City of
Coppell and that problem could be even more magnified on this grass lined channel because
of the flatness of the slope. You are proposing a slope of 0. 15%. The grass lined channel
on this slope will experience standing and stagnant water. Therefore, when homes are built
that back up to it those citizens will be calling the City to fix the problem. We currently
have an identical situation of a grass lined channel behind homes on the west side of town.
That particular channel has a slope twice as steep as this proposed channel and the City is
in the process of expending almost $100,000 to fix the problem. That said, you should
propose some means of permanently improving this channel so that it is not a maintenance
problem for the City of Coppell in the future. That could be either concrete lined or some
other type of permanent improvement.
2. Another concern is in Table 1 of your comparison between existing and proposed 100 year
flood levels in which you are showing a rise in the water surface at Section 8. Please
reevaluate this section. The City does not allow any rise in the water surface.
The cross sections provided with the flood study show a substamial mount to fill on the
adjacent TU property. Has contact been made with TU and are they in agreement with
filling on their property? It's safe to assume that if they do not allow the filling then you
will have a greater area to convey. However, if they do not allow the filling you also will
not have a side of your channel to construct, thereby reducing your ability to construct a
permanent improvement in this area. The amount of fill placed on the TU property could
also affect the height of the TU wires and whether or not they maintain proper clearance
from the ground. This issue should be explored with TU. If you are unable to fill on TU's
property and in some cases cut on TU's property, then you may need to reevaluate your
strategy in the reclamation of this property.
Along with this letter I am returning your check in the amount of $200.00 which was for
processing the permit to FEMA. The reason I am not processing the permit is because part of
the permit process specifies that the City has reviewed the study and found it to be in compliance
with our floodplain management regulations. For the reasons stated above I cannot support this
proposal at this time. As we have discussed in the past, on the surface the proposal appears to
have potential to meet our floodplain requirements, however, as currently submitted and
proposed the City is not in a position to support it at this time.
If you shouM have any additional questions please contact me or if you would like to meet and
rediscuss this issue please contact me.
Sincerely,
Kenneth M. Griffin, P.E.
Assistant City Manager/City Engineer
~le/kgriffin/macat~e.ltr