MADISON, Wis. — Members of the city’s engineering division are traveling to neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by flooding over the years. Their goal is to get a better idea of what those communities are dealing with and factor those experiences into possible long term changes to the city’s stormwater infrastructure.
“People just want to be heard, and they want to share. And they want us to know what they’ve gone through, and that’s what we want too,” said the engineering division’s public information officer Hannah Mohelnitzky.
She said engineers will take these concerns into consideration, along with conducting large watershed studies, looking at the submitted flooding reports online and hearing from attendees of public information meetings, to design a long term solution.
“The August 20, 2018, flooding event really exposed some moments of improvement that we can improve on our stormwater infrastructure, but a lot of these residents have been going through this for years before that, so we’re listening to any and all feedback when it comes to what they’ve experienced,” said Mohelnitzky.
She is also reminding people that flooding can happen at any point, so to stay prepared, you should make sure downspouts are far enough away from your foundation, you have a sump pump to keep up with the water and you know where you are on the flood plain.
Tuesday’s focus group was the first of about 30 meetings organized by the department in the Pheasant Branch, Spring Harbor, Wingra West and Stricks/Mendota watersheds.
If your neighborhood is not on the schedule below, you can request a focus group by clicking here.
Pheasant Branch Watershed Focus Group Meetings
SW Blackhawk Pond, 7-8 p.m., Sept. 4, Bear Claw Way and Winding Way
North Blackhawk Pond, 7-8 p.m., Sept. 5, Swallowtail Park, 901 Swallowtail Drive
Menards Area, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 17, the sidewalk on Plaza Drive near Pet Smart Parking Lot, 8210 Plaza Drive
Old Sauk and Westfield, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 18, North Westfield Road and Walnut Grove Drive
Wexford Village, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 25, Tramore Trail and Sawmill Road
Junction Ridge, Attic Angel, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 26, Reid Drive and McGuffey Drive
Old Sauk Trails, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 26, GHC Parking Lot, 8202 Excelsior Drive
Tamarack Trails, 9-10 a.m., Sept. 27, Tamarack Trails Club House Parking Lot, 110 S Westfield Road
Spring Harbor Watershed Focus Group Meetings
Mineral Point Park to Owen Park, 4-5 p.m., Aug. 28, Corner of Quarterdeck Dr and the bike path, about 150 feet north of the intersection of Landfall Dr and Quarterdeck Dr on the east side of the street
Owen Park Concrete Channel, 6-7 p.m., Aug. 29, Corner of Forsythia Pl. and Bordner Drive
Regent Street, Burnett Drive and Calumet Circle, 4-5 p.m., Aug. 29, Corner of Burnett Drive and S. Kenosha Drive
Marbella Condo Association, 2-3 p.m., Aug. 30, Outside Marbella Tennis Court gates near the corner of South Yellowstone Drive and Mineral Point Road
Oakwood Village Association, 2-3 p.m., Sept. 18, inside meeting room of Oakwood Village Center for Arts and Education
Bordner Park, 6-7 p.m., Sept. 19, Bordner Park Playground, 5600 Elder Place in the center of the park
West Towne Pond, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 16, Schwoegler Park Towne Lanes Banquet Hall, 444 Grand Canyon Drive
Wingra West Watershed Focus Group Meetings
Chippewa Drive and Cherokee Drive Greenway, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 5, Nakoma Park, near the intersection of Cherokee Drive and Nakoma Road
Nakoma Road Ave., 2-3 p.m., Sept. 12, Nakoma Road and Manitou Way at the limestone wall
Odana Pond, 6-7 p.m., Sept. 12, Odana Hills Park near intersection Milward Drive and Dearholt Road
Orchard Ridge Valley Park, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 19, Orchard Ridge Valley Park entrance off of Loruth Terrace
Strickers/Mendota Watershed Focus Group Meetings
Julia Street, Baker Avenue, 8-9 a.m., Aug. 27, Corner of Julia Street and Julia Ct.
Hickory Hollow, 12-1 p.m., Aug. 27, 15 Hickory Hollow Drive
Baker Avenue, Lake Mendota, 6-7 p.m., Aug. 27, Corner of Baker Avenue and Lake Mendota Drive
Longmeadow/Backbay Circle, 12-1 p.m., Sept. 9, Strickers Pond Pedestrian Path, 7214 Longmeadow Road
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