Richmond City Councilmember Cesar Zepeda says an overdue project aims to fix many years of flooding in Parchester Village.
At tonight’s meeting, City Council will receive a presentation about the Parchester Village-Giant Highway Infrastructure Master Plan and be asked to provide direction to city staff on how to proceed.
A city staff report states flooding concerns have become “increasingly urgent” in recent years, especially during heavy rains and King Tides that impact Collins Avenue and other low-lying segments of the neighborhood. The city said the challenges are compounded by shallow grades and drainage infrastructure that is either undersized or past its useful life.
According to Zepeda, the regular flooding prevents residents from entering or exiting their community safely.
“The storm drain was built above the street level,” the councilmember stated in his latest email newsletter to constituents. “Most storm drains should be built below street level to allow for water to flow into the drain with gravity and not stall and flood the streets.”
The solution will be in two phases, according to Zepeda. One solution already implemented is the installation of a pump that is prepared to move storm drain water to a nearby storm drain.
The long-term phase, set to be discussed at City Council tonight, could be either a permanent pump station or reconstructing the road and installing the storm drain underground, according to Zepeda.Â
Veolia believes the costs to fully correct the deficiencies in the storm drainage piping system could range from about $10 million to $50 million.
Councilmember Zepeda said fixing this problem is part of a broader effort to respond to the long-ignored issues in Parchester Village.
