Habitat Letter water runoffOctober 8, 2002
The Honorable Terry Duggan
City of Dubuque
50 W. 13th St.
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dubuque-Jackson Counties Habitat for Humanity
2790 Ethel Avenue
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dear Mayor Duggan:
We would like to address a storm water nm-off problem that we are experiencing on lots
acquired by Habitat for Humanity for building new houses.
These lots are at 10 Nevada St. and the next lot to the east that now has an address of
1431 YM/YW Drive.
When it rains, water runs down an alley and onto Reeder St., all the water collects at the
west end of Reeder St. where it then hms over the 2 lots mentioned above. The run-off is
washing the soil fi:om these lots out onto YMJYW Drive. It also creates gullies in the rear
yard of 10 Nevada Street. (Please see enclosed photographs.)
We have been try'rog to keep the gullies filled and have re-seeded the yard at 10 Nevada
St. a number of times, but to no avail. Every time it rains, there is just too much water
flowing across the lots. We have tried to divert some of the run-off by creating swales at
the west end of Reeder St., but they also get washed out every time it rains.
There is no storm water drain at the west end of Reeder St. so the water can only continue
to wash out these lots. Storm water from Langworthy St. to YM/YW Drive and between
Alpine St. to Nevada St. all collects at this point on Reeder St.
We have to continuously clean the mud off the sidewalk on these properties, and have
received letters fi:om the City of Dubuque warning us to clean up the mud of pay the City
to do so. The neighbors in the Nevada Street area have also been calling us and
complaining about the condition of the sidewalks after it rains.
If the water nm-off was just from our properties, we could understand the City's concem
for us to clean it, but the problem is we have all the water fi:om the alleys and Reeder St.
going over our properties.
We would like the Engineering Department and the City Council to address this problem,
since they are now working on storm water issues.
We are now in the process of building another Habitat for Humanity home on 1431
YM/YW Drive, and this would be the time to address the ran-off before we complete the
final grading. We can and will work with you to get easement rights for a storm water
sewer through these properties or adjacent property on Nevada. We did talk with the
property owners, just North of 10 Nevada St., and they will also work with you.
We hope you can do something to lessen this problem in the very near future. We have
brought this concern to Ron Turner, City Staff, and he asked us to bring this to your
attention also.
Thank you in advance for anything you, the City Council, and Engineering Department
can do to alleviate this problem. We would appreciate any assistance you can give us to
resolve this problem. The Habitat office phone number is 563-556-2195.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Dubuque-Jackson Co. Habitat for Humanity
cc: Derron Muehring, Engineering Department
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
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