Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(KSL News) -- Southern Utah isn't the only place with flooding.
Muddy water has filled a Draper home's driveway as though it's a pond!
Brad and Linda Fellows say their home, located near 12120 South 2000 East, has flooded about two dozen times in two years.
Brad Fellows, Yard Flooded: "Every time it rains we get flooded. That's the way it's been since the development went in above us."
Fellows is talking about an Ivory Development built on the mountain above his home. He says the ongoing problem has not been taken seriously by Draper city, or Ivory.
The city recently put in a pipe that was supposed to help with drainage problems. Fellows says the pipe has only made things worse.
Fellows says his expenses are piling.
Brad Fellows: "Legal costs, cleaning up the mud, debris, the stink, every time it happens. A third of our home was destroyed the first time it happened -- Yea, it's getting difficult to get by and survive at this point."
Other homes in the area have had similar problems.
In response to the Fellows comments, Draper City issued the following statement:
DRAPER, Utah. It has been alleged that the City of Draper has not been concerned about or responded to the flooding issues affecting Brad and Linda Fellows property in Draper. The City takes issue with that categorization, as Draper City employees have responded to flooding at the Fellows home. They City have sent crews to sand bag and have given many staff hours, even during the middle of the night.
Draper City has been actively engaged in trying to correct the problems caused by new development and has allocated $275,000 to complete a storm drain above, through and below the Fellows property to alleviate the run-off. The drain line will run through a long-standing city easement on the Fellows property, even though structures have been built over the easement which has greatly complicated the line installation. The City is trying to work out details of installation with the Fellows and have been waiting for the Fellows to agree with the installation details before beginning construction. The City has a contractor on board to begin construction immediately. When completed, the proposed storm drain will connect to the existing city system and will carry 4,500 gallons of water per minute.
Again, the City regrets the implication that we do not respond to problems such as these. We have taken the initiative to resolve this problem, as we do in all cases, to protect the interests of all its citizens within our legal and fiscal limits.
