HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-4-04 Memo from Brad WatsonCi ty of Mer id ia n
Pu bl ic Wor ks D ept.
Memo
'1~ Mayor and City Council
From: Brad Watson, P.E.
C~: File, Gary Smith, PE, Bill Nichols, Dave Yorgason
Dame: 3/4/04
R.~~ C~ENEI)
MAR 0 4 2004
JiLy OFMaridian
`-, ,.
~~z~.S' ~%'lerk Office
Rex Settlement Bridge Subdivision - AZ 03-035, PP 03-041, CUP 03-065
As directed by Mayor and Councl at the February 24, 2004 Councl meeting, staff met with
Capital Development and their engineer on Febnary 26 to discuss water supply and well lot
acquisition issues. This memo addresses the water supply issue.
Re-Cao and Additional Infomtatbn
• This project is located in the high-pressure zone. We uUimately need two wells north
of Ustidc Road in this zone. See attached zone map.
• The Cily water system cannot meet the fire flow requirements of this subdivision
without additional water supply. The applignYs team has never asked, either orally
or in writing, for verbcation of this.
• A potential weU site in Westborough Subdivision, %-mile south of Chinden on the
west side of Locust Grove Road has been secured (by lease with option to
purchase). Test drilling wiU commence in the next week or twro.
• IF the water quality in the Westborough test well turns up satisfactory, production well
drilling and pump facilities construction will take 6 -10 months. We do not yet have
the water right approved by the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources (IDWR). Given the
normal purse of public advertisement by IDWR, our hydrogeological consultant does
not anticipate the protest period ending until April 19. If someone files a protest on
this water right, we obvrously have noway of knowing how long it will take to have an
operational well.
• I cannot issue an approval letter for the subdivision plans to the Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) for any phase of this subdivision without additional
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water supply. That plan approval !alter (sample copy attached) certifies that the City
can meet fire fknm requirements. However, if plans for additional water supply
accompany the subdivision plans, I could likely issue an overall plan approval.
Altemath Water SuppN
As I mentioned at the 2!24!44 hearing on this matter, staff is looking at alternative water
supply sources for the high-pressure zone. Councl approved an agreement with Civil Survey
Consultants at the 2/24/04 meeting fA investigate and ultimately design a solution. Please
refer to ten Grady's 314/04 memo to me and Dave Yorgason's 3/3/04 letter tb me for
additional details regarding this plan.
Recommendation
Modify Site Specific Comment No. 25 (PP 03-041) as follarus:
Adequate water supply to meet fire protection requirements must be constructed,
installed and operational priorto signature on the final plat.
How adequate water supply is provided boils down ib two scenarios:
1. Additional well is operational in the hioh ressure zone. The C'rty would fully
fund this construction.
2.
DV Dipetrne and pressure-reducirm valve station(s). How this would be fiar
is a question. We would not be proposing this re-routing as the system
stands today without additional development in the north part of the high-
pressure mne.
If Council allows scenario #2 to proud, we recommend that the Ciiy maintain control of the
design, plans, and oonstrudion of the improvements. If Councl decides that Capital
Development should be responsible for these irr~rovements, we recommend that tt be a
finanaal responsibility only. If other projects in the high pressure zone north of Ustick Road
benefit from this, vue recommend that Capital Development be eligible for a latecomers
agreement
Fundino
We currently have funds budgeted for the Jewett well (#27) and the second well (#26 aka
#20B) at the Ustidc Reservoir site. No funds epst for an additional well although we will
undoubtedly request funds for two more wells in FY'05.
About a month ago, we considered asking Council for a budget amendment to create enough
funds in a new Well #28 line item 1p alknv us m do two lest wells under the same contract.
These would have been at the Westborough and Settlement Bridge sites. We felt there
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would be some savings by having the test well driller do iwo wells at the same time in dose
proximity m one another. Since uve did not come to an agreement on the Settlement Bridge
site by the time of the bid, we proceeded with the Westborough test well only.
Thank you for your consideration. I look fonnrard th discussing this with you at the Coundl
meeting next week.
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