Lee Avenue Drainage Improvements

As part of our continued dedication to improve existing drainage infrastructure and mitigate drainage issues in Betton Hills and throughout the community, the City of Tallahassee has undertaken the Lee Avenue Drainage Improvement Study. Some of the existing stormwater infrastructure in Betton Hills is inadequate to handle runoff from regularly occurring rainfall events. As a result, many homeowners throughout the area are experiencing regular yard flooding. Some owners on Lee Avenue and W. Randolph Circle have reported flooding in their garages and homes.

The Lee Avenue Drainage Improvement Study is focused on the stormwater system serving Lee Avenue, located primarily between Dillard Street and Lemond Street. Under current conditions stormwater runoff regularly exceeds this system’s capacity, resulting in stormwater flows across Lee Avenue and west from there (downhill) towards W Randolph Circle and Trescott Drive.

The City has committed resources to study the area and is developing drainage improvement concepts that mitigate as many of the known drainage issues as practical. While the study is on-going, City personnel will be performing drainage maintenance in the area to ensure high performance from the existing system, typically excavating roadside ditches and swales.

For additional information about the study, please contact Ray Einarson, PE, City of Tallahassee Water Resources Engineering Division, at 850 891-6881 or Ray.Einarson@Talgov.com.Answers to some frequently asked questions are provided below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the project status?

The Lee Avenue project is currently in the study phase, which should be completed in 2020. Final design should be completed in 2021 and project construction should be completed in 2022.

Will this project eliminate future flooding in the neighborhood?

Like many other older neighborhoods in Tallahassee, Betton Hills was developed before modern stormwater standards and therefore without adequate drainage infrastructure to meet the community’s expectations of today. To improve the entire neighborhood’s infrastructure to modern standards is not feasible. The goal of this project is to improve drainage infrastructure enough to mitigate the most significant drainage issues, especially those that may result in structural flooding and are known to be regularly occurring.

How can I get more information about the project?

The City’s project manager is available to discuss the project with owners and residents individually. Please contact Ray Einarson, PE, City of Tallahassee Water Resources Engineering Division, at 850-891-6881 or Ray.Einarson@Talgov.com.