Nearly three months after a sewer collapse on Washington Street, between the home of Norm Cristea and Clarkston Mills Mall, the issue has finally been resolved.
‘The water is flowing,? said Clarkston City Manager Dennis Ritter. ‘It’s a larger pipe than what was in the ground. It will ease considerably any potential flooding.?
Workers finished installating pipe and rough grading the construction area on March 13. What still remains is a final grade, along with planting evergreens between the two properties in late April or early May because of weather conditions. Workers also put a temporary patch on the portion of the driveway where they had to go underneath. A final cap will be put on when weather warms up, noted Ritter.
‘I’m very pleased we have accomplished 95 percent of the project, plus the plantings and the asphalt that needs to be repaired,? he said.
The city also took Lehman Investments to court in order to get land easement to lay the new pipe.
‘A lot of negotiations back and forth between us and Lehman Investments,? said Ritter. ‘It was a collaborative effort that went very smoothly.?
He said Lehman Investments has plans to do something more with their property and they wanted to make sure the pipe has ‘minimal impact on future use of the property. They also wanted authority to relocate the pipe if necessary.
The city paid $3,325.98 to Lehman Investments for temporary and permanent easement. They paid $892.10 for an easement on Cristea’s property, but the city now has the authority to go on both properties if needed to make repairs, said Ritter.
‘The important thing, at this point, is we are moving forward. We’re glad that it’s done and in the long run it’s good for the city. It’s going to minimize potential flooding issues of water that comes off of North Holcomb and areas up behind it,? he said. ‘It minimizes sedimentation and other contaminants from entering the Mill Pond and, of course, what eventually goes into the Mill race. The water is much cleaner. To me, that’s a very important aspect.?