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. Once the study is complete the City will host a Public Meeting to share the results of the study and discuss concepts with the community.
For additional information about the study, please contact Jason Icerman, PE, City of Tallahassee Water Resources Engineering Division, at 850-891-6842 or Jason.Icerman@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 and our goal is to complete this phase of the project in 2019. As of spring 2019, the City also plans to complete a project design in 2020 and construction in 2021. However, these dates may change depending on the complexity of the project.
Will my property be impacted?
The City plans to construct as many of the necessary improvements as possible within the existing right-of-way; however, we also expect additional property rights will be required to complete this project. The City will be reaching out to individual homeowners as the project progresses to discuss potential future uses of their property.
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 hosted a public meeting to discuss the project in February 2019 and plans to host a second public meeting when the project transitions from study to design, tentatively planned for late 2019.
Outside of public meetings, the City’s project manager is available to discuss the project with owners and residents individually. Please contact Jason Icerman, PE, City of Tallahassee Water Resources Engineering Division, at 850-891-6842 or Jason.Icerman@talgov.com.
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