2026 10 20 Council Meeting Packet

Unverified text extraction. Check the original page for numbers, names, and layout.

Layman Road and existing 48 -inch and 72 -inch CMP culverts, replaces the private driveway 
crossing with a 12 -foot by 6 -foot reinforced concrete box culvert, and improves the upstream 
channel. Modeling indicates that these improvements would increase the dri veway crossing 
performance to approximately the 100 -year event while eliminating design -storm overbank 
flooding in the affected reach. This would also coincide with restoration of bank between Layman 
and Regional, which could be tackled piecemeal or collectively depending on funds. 
Fo
r Oostanaula Creek, the Plan focuses on floodplain storage rather than relying exclusively on 
increased conveyance. The Mayfield Regional Detention project is presented as the first step in 
a long-term strategy of reclaiming flood-prone property for storage, riparian restoration, water-
quality improvements, and compatible public use. The Plan acknowledges that the approximately 
five-acre Mayfield property alone will not materially change Oostanaula Creek flood elevations, 
but it establishes a model for incremental floodplain restoration.  The City should focus on 
identifying properties that become available and strategic acquisition and restoration of riparian 
banks and storage. This coupled with greenway amenities or other recreational uses could make 
it an “amenity” in addition to a func tional engineering improvement as has been done at 
Mayfield. 
Ad
ditionally, the City is encouraged to pursue strategic acquisition of additional properties as 
opportunities arise. The Plan identifies three properties near an unnamed Oostanaula Creek 
tributary as potential future storage opportunities and recommends maintaining flexibility to 
acquire similar properties elsewhere as they become available.  As has been mentioned 
previously, urbanization in older additions in Athens exhibits  these same issues as construction 
predated current stormwater management practices. 
S
ection 6 contains the most substantial infrastructure recommendations. A consistent principle 
throughout this section is that simply increasing pipe capacity will transfer issues downstream. 
Consequently, major conveyance improvements are paired with recommendations for detention 
or other storage capable of offsetting increased discharge  in addition to providing stormwater 
treatment and improving water quality. 
Fo
r Towanda Trail, the Plan recommends a new 30-inch bypass, replacement and lowering of the 
Seminole Lane crossing with a 48 -inch pipe, replacement of the downstream ditch between 
residences with a 48-inch closed system, ditch regrading, and replacement of the Tellico Avenue 
crossing with dual 42 -inch culverts. Approximately 1,079 linear feet of pipe improvements and 
382 linear feet of ditch improvements are proposed. The Seminole Lane crossing would improve 
from approximately a two -year to a 25 -year level of service. However, improved conveyance 
could increase the 100 -year discharge at the system outlet by approximately 69 percent. 
Therefore, approximately 3.8 acre -feet of detention storage is recommended to offset the 
increased discharge. 
Do
wntown improvements center on two major bypass projects. The Clark Street Bypass would 
relocate much of the Lev eck Street conveyance system from private property into public right -
of-way while substantially increasing capacity. The project includes approximately 2,439 linear 
feet of new storm sewer ranging from 36 to 72 inches. The Madison Avenue Bypass would 
provide approximately 4,191 linear feet of new storm sewer ranging from 42 to 84 inches and 
separate major portions of the northern and southern Downtown drainage systems. Together, 
the projects are intended to reduce flooding and eliminate significant system bottlenecks. 
19
Work Session 
October 12, 2026