Homeowner wants storm drainage fixed

An Alaska resident who owns a house at 301 Columbia in Coulee Dam has tossed the town a difficult request.

Patrick Wilson, who now lives in Petersburg, Alaska, owns the home on Columbia where he plans to retire soon.

He says that excess water running off of Columbia Avenue, which is also State Route 155, runs down his driveway and into his garage and storage room, causing water damage.

He has asked the town to do something about it, but town officials claim it is a state highway problem. When contacted, highway officials have bounced responsibility back to the town.

Public works director Barry Peacock told council members last week that the town doesn’t have any money in the street fund to take care of the issue.

Wilson had made a trip down to the lower 48 to talk with town officials when his renter told him about the repeated problem.

Wilson said a recent storm sent six inches of water into his garage. A storm drain at the edge of his driveway doesn’t handle the drainage when there is a big rainfall.

Wilson said he drove to the Washington State Department of Transportation office and talked with Wayne Rice, the maintenance supervisor, who followed Wilson down to the site to have a look at the problem area.

After researching the drainage problem, Rice advised Wilson that it was a town problem.

Wilson asked if the problem was on a future project list and was told it was not.

Wilson asked that the flooding problem be addressed in the near future and not forgotten, kept “alive and upfront until the issue (is) resolved.”

Wilson had asked last summer if the town had some sand bags that could be placed in such a way as to keep the excess water out of his garage and storage room and was told that they wouldn’t be available until sometime in the fall.

The council still believes the issue should land in the DOT court and is seeking legal advice.

Wilson’s property is just north of Douglas Park on the same side of the street and faces onto SR-155.