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After 10 years, Briar Hill Lake dam project begins
(by Sue Reid - April 14, 2011)
After 10 years, Briar Hill Lake dam project begins
By SUE REID
Tree removal around Briar Hill Lake in anticipation of the upcoming dam reconstruction project this fall spoke volumes for residents living in the subdivision.
For Adam Fair, who has worked with the City of Solon for several years as a member of the homeowners association and the dam committee, the definitive action of the tree removal showed him that "nothing is impossible," he said.
"When we started this 10 years ago, it sure seemed like it was going to be," Mr. Fair said.
The project, which involves the upgrade and reconstruction of the dam and existing spillway to alleviate potential hazards downstream and to accommodate storm-water management for the city, has been in the works for close to a decade. The Briar Hill Homeowners Association, which owns the dam, has been under a mandate from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for more than 15 years to replace it.
"The long-term holdup was trying to put together a public-private project and getting all the details worked out," Mr. Fair said.
Before even going to the city, he said, "there were multiple internal issues the neighborhood had to come to grips with and get involved before we can even approach the city, and that took time."
A lease agreement was reached between the association and the city nearly two years ago, and details were hammered out for about a year, he said, involving scheduling and financing of the project.
"We needed to come to an agreement on how we would finance the project," Public Works Director James S. Stanek said. "We crafted the project as a public-private partnership and that had to go through the assessment process. All of that took time."
In addition to establishing assessments for residents, there was a time line associated with whether there were objections to those assessments, Mr. Stanek said. There were none for this project.
The most recent delay, which moved the project's start from last year to this year, had to do with awaiting permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
"We were ready to bid it late last summer but had not got our permit," Mr. Stanek said of the Army Corps. "You don't have a project until you have a permit."
The nearly 75 trees were taken down at the end of March by Dash Tree Services.
"I feel great about this," Mr. Fair said. "My son was 8 when we started this, and he goes to Ohio University in two months.
"When those trees came down, it was gratifying to see we were actually doing something rather than going to City Hall meetings," Mr. Fair said.
Dam committee member and resident Chris Anton said he, too, is satisfied something is being done.
"After all these years, it is great this has finally begun," Mr. Anton said of the project. He noted that it is also sad that it has taken so long for a project to begin that is both important for Solon's storm water detention and also keeps the integrity of the neighborhood.
Mr. Stanek said that the trees coming down was the first step as far as the physical construction. From there, the city will be getting the rest of the documents ready to bid the project in May. It is hoped to take bid recommendations to City Council in early June, he said.
The project is scheduled for September, October and November, with completion in mid-November or early December, Mr. Stanek said. That may not include the restoration, which may begin next year.
"The physical dam work should be done before this year is over," he said.
The engineer's estimate for the project is about $1.25 million. The cost is broken down with the Briar Hill homeowners paying one-third and the city paying two-thirds. The Briar Hill homeowners' contribution is capped at $500,000.
There are 76 homes in the subdivision.
URS, who performed the engineering and design of the project, will oversee its construction with the city. The scope of their services included the detailed design of the Obermeyer Dam, as well as the permitting through the regulatory agencies. An emergency action plan is also required by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for a class 1 dam.
Mr. Fair said that he and the rest of the dam committee will remain involved through the project's completion. Many association board members stayed on the dam committee through the years because of their "intimate knowledge of the whole project," he said.
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