County makes move to alleviate flooding issues in Oak Hills subdivision

By Alison James for the FCT

With recent heavy rainfall causing widespread flash flooding in the area, one area in particular in the county took a hit – as it always does.

Oak Hills subdivision, off County Road 46, has had flooding issues, according to county engineer David Palmer, since it opened in the ’70s. But with action by the Franklin County Commission at its Monday meeting, the neighborhood might be seeing relief in the near future.

“We’ve attempted a couple of times to get a CDB grant to address that problem,” Palmer said. The county has again applied for a community development block grant to create a detention storage basin in the subdivision that “ we believe will go a long way toward solving the situation,” Palmer said.

In order to pursue this plan, Palmer asked the commission to approve the acquisition of two lots in the neighborhoods at a cost of $5,000 per lot, which Palmer said was very fair.

“I would like the commission to act on that and purchase that,” Palmer said.

The home adjacent to these lots floods every time there is significant rainfall, Palmer said. “That’s bad. That’s dangerous,” Palmer said. “We just need to try to help those folks, and this is the best way to do that.”

The detention storage basin would give water somewhere to accumulate, instead of washing across roads and turning the neighborhood into a river. The area, which would essentially resemble a pond following heavy rainfall, would be fenced in with signs to keep people away from the basin.

Although this will be the third attempt to receive CDBG funds for this project, Palmer said since the county actually earns “bonus points” because of being denied before, and since a multitude of photo evidence proves the need, he is hopeful that this application will be successful. “I’m always optimistic,” Palmer said.

The county approved the purchase of the two lots.

In other business, the county:

– accepted the resignation at Jennifer Behel from the sheriff’s office.

– accepted the termination of Tony Behel from the sheriff’s office.

– advertised for a vacant corrections officer position in the sheriff’s office.

– approved right-of-way acquisition for the road leading into the industrial park in Phil Campbell.

– scheduled a public hearing on the county vacating a portion of Nursery Road.

– approved a commendation for Melissa Mayfield for successful completion of level two property tax support development program.