| | Published November 2nd, 2016
| After Sinkhole, Town Looks at Storm Drain Repairs
| | | By Sophie Braccini | | |
Yes, Moraga public works director Edric Kwan was right when he said that the rainy season starts on Oct. 15. Actually, it started just a day early, on Oct. 14, but his team had done what needed to be done and the Moraga sinkhole at Rheem Boulevard and Moraga Road was ready to endure the wrath of Mother Nature.
So far, the preparation work has protected the infrastructure from further catastrophe. And the director sees past his current sinkhole problem and wants to find ways to address the deep backlog of storm drain issues, with the crux of the matter finding the $23 million needed to repair Moraga storm drains before the grounds fail under Moragans' feet.
When Kwan presented a storm drain study during the summer of 2015 the council adopted it, but noted that they did not have the money to start repairs. The report had identified the area that failed in the form of the infamous sinkhole. Kwan says that the cost of repair prior to failure would have been $1.7 million, a cost that more than doubled as a result of the hole. It has been a town goal to find a way to fund the repairs and Kwan is bringing to council on Nov. 9 a proposal to conduct a drain funding feasibility study.
The director explains that a consultant will look at available documents, such as the storm drain master plan, the revenue enhancement committee report and interview key players, to understand the town culture and profile. Kwan says that there are many different ways to fund the needed maintenance. Another sales tax, comparable to Measure K that permitted to repave many neighborhood roads, a parcel tax such as the one on the ballot now for the school district's delayed maintenance bill, or the creation of a storm drain utility district are all funding possibilities.
Kwan adds that whatever the recommendation will be, they should be required o base it on a defined methodology.
In the meantime, the preparation for winter storms planned at the sinkhole has been effective so far. Run-offs are being diverted from the hole, and inside the culvert the repairs are holding. It is a big creek that can go down that drain if rains get intense, but it is not an El Ni§o year and Kwan says that the town engineer, Glen Anderson from Schaaf & Wheeler, is making sure that culvert patching is holding.
No permanent repair will be attempted at the sinkhole until next year and drier times.
Rheem Blvd Closed from Nov. 7 to Nov. 10
To accommodate PG&E's work in permanently rerouting a gas line, the intersection at Rheem Boulevard and Moraga Road will be closed to traffic on a few occasions this week, weather dependent, starting on Nov. 3 for three days. Residents and shoppers will be invited to detour through the shopping centers on both sides of Rheem Boulevard and along Moraga Road. - S. Bracchini
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA