The Town Council has approved storm drainage improvements to reduce flooding potential in residential neighborhoods on Deuce Court and Grande Boulevard.

The council addressed the projects through three separate agenda items at its Oct. 4 meeting. The Town applied for and received grant funding from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County through a Small Projects Assistance Program to address these existing flooding issues.

The council approved a professional services contract with NFRA Inc. for the engineering design services related to both projects. Grant funding will cover 75% of those costs. The total cost for design services on both projects is $59,205. The grant will pay $44,403.75 and the Town’s share is $14,801.25.

The project on Grande Boulevard is to correct deterioration and sediment collection over the years in a drainage channel that runs between Grande Boulevard and Rosita Drive. The council had previously heard from neighbors adjacent to the channel regarding flood water collecting in the street and into their yard up to the front door and into the garage.

The objective of the project is to resize and regrade both inlet and outlet curb openings as well as redesign the existing channel to address the depth, width and the slope.

Water that drains through the channel onto Rosita Drive and into the system that leads to Ashbrook Wash.

The cost of this project is estimated at $290,000 with the grant again providing a 75/25 split. The Flood Control District grant will cover $217,500, and the Town will pay $72,500 of the project.

This work will need to be bid to select a contractor. Public Works Director Justin Weldy estimates the work will be done beginning late in the first quarter of next calendar year.

Street flooding during the past two storm seasons exposed an issue with the drainage infrastructure on the Deuce Court cul-de-sac in the Courtside Villas subdivision, one of the earliest neighborhoods built by the developer.

Two homes on the cul-de-sac have experienced water damage in the garage due to flooding.

Weldy said staff investigated the situation and discovered that the stormwater infrastructure installed when the development was constructed did not match the construction plans approved at the time. He said the catch basin is misplaced and is not at the low point on Deuce Court. He also said the storm drainpipe is undersized and the existing catch basin has a very shallow sump depth.

“It is believed that these factors are all contributing to the historical flooding issues experienced on Deuce Court,” Weldy said in his staff report.

The proposed solution to this situation is to relocate the catch basin, replace drainpipe with an adequate size and improve the depth and slope connecting the drainpipe to downslope infrastructure.

The preliminary estimate for this project is $95,000. The Flood Control District grant will cover $71,250 with the Town’s share being $23,750.

Weldy said that due to HOA responsibilities the Town of Fountain Hills had not been made aware of this situation.

“This is a good opportunity for the Town to right a wrong,” Weldy told the council.

The total estimated costs for the design and construction on the projects is $444,205, with the Town’s share after the grant funding of $111,051. This is budgeted in the Capital Improvement Plan.