Can Greater Park Hill Act on the Lessons of the September Flooding?
Last month I asked whether the Greater Park Hill community is ready to take on a very different vision of our watersheds and act on it. Let’s look at a future vision of one specific section of Montclair Creek. I gave you a brief summary of changes to the section of that creek from 13th Avenue (between Leyden and Krameria streets) to Jasmine Street (between 14th and Colfax avenues). Presently the creek is in a pipe, under as many as 6 feet of fill. Presumably the original developers of the various sites placed the fill, with the approval of the City and County of Denver, sometime after World War II.
Safeway and King Soopers, and some smaller businesses, including the Safeway gas station, occupy the three blocks from Leyden to Jasmine between 13th and 14th avenues. Between 14th and Colfax, the two blocks from Krameria to Jasmine are occupied by a variety of small businesses, a power substation, City Floral nursery, and some apartments.
From a review of the city’s 2010 Storm Drainage Master Plan, it appears that the existing pipe system can generally accommodate approximately 15 percent to 30 percent of the 100-year flows calculated for Montclair Creek. From 13th Avenue to Jasmine Street, a 100-year rainstorm will produce 850 to 1,350 cubic feet per second of flow that cannot fit into the pipes and must, therefore, flow overland.
In July 2011, the most intense flood I have seen on Montclair Creek resulted in flows on Leyden Street, through Safeway’s parking lot, on Krameria Street, through the King Soopers parking lot, along 14th Avenue, through the power substation and part of City Floral, across Kearney Street, and along part of Jasmine Street. In addition, some buildings and yards were affected.
Mother Nature gave us some cues; here are some potential changes:
A redeveloped Safeway site could include a channel and adjacent greenway corridor from 13th and Leyden to a point just southeast of 14th and Krameria.
With a future bridge on Krameria, the channel could cross underneath to the current Safeway gas station, which really does not belong in a floodprone area.
The channel could then cross under a future bridge on 14th Avenue to the site of the electric substation, which also does not belong in a floodprone area.
Meanwhile, a redeveloped King Soopers site could include a second channel and greenway corridor from 13th and Krameria to a point just southeast of 14th Avenue and Kearney.
With another future bridge on 14th Avenue, that second channel could cross to the substation site.
The combined channels could cross just south of a new cul-de-sac on Kearney Street immediately north of 14th Avenue (no more intersection with 14th Avenue).
West of Kearney, the current apartment building and the City Floral parking lot and office building could revert to the wetlands that previously existed north of 14th between Kearney and Jasmine.
So, who pays, how, and why? Tune in next month.
Brian Hyde is an expert in floodplain management and stream restoration. He wants your feedback at westerly_connect_brian@comcast.net or 720-939-6039.