Letter to the Planning Commission, February 4, 2003
Marian Williams, representing the Mushroom Park Neighborhood Association
These comments are directed to the Commission in opposition to any
rezoning and development of the S. Maple/Pauline property by Crosswinds
Communities, with major concern for how our most valuable resource -
water - directly affects our neighborhood community.
1. The proposed Crosswinds development would add to an already
overstressed/overtaxed sanitary sewer system. Sewage from the proposed
development would flow downstream into the Dartmoor area - one of the
worst of the City's basement flooding problems. The proposed mitigation
plan envisions disconnecting some footing drains in the nearby
neighborhood to compensate for the added sewer discharge load. This
does not appear to be any mitigation at all since these footing drains
would evenutally be disconnected as part of the city's long-range plan
to help solve the sanitary sewer overflow problem. Thus, you actually
have an added burden to the system which flows into a vulnerable
location. The city is currently engaged in a long-range expensive
program to alleviate the sanitary sewer overflow problem. Improvement
to existing flooding problem will occur only gradually over time. It is
not appropriate to add to the problem by allowing new development
upstream from affected areas.
2. A further additional burden may be imposed on the sanitary sewer
system as part of the clean up of the dioxane plume eminating from Pall
Life Sciences. I had attended the meeting at Slauson Middle School last
Wednesday regarding identification and containment of the plume which
has migrated East of Veterans Park. A possible solution to this problem
as noted by an MDEQ official may be to discharge dioxane contaminated
water into the sanitary sewer system.
These problems theaten the safety and environmental quality of life
in the city of Ann Arbor. Another development would only burdern an
already inadequate infrastructure. We urge the Commission not to
approve this development. | 