The planned solution to the storm system problem on the south side of the city has Stratford Municipal Golf Course members fretting over what a 10-acre hole would do to their 45-acre property.
The consulting firm's preferred alternative to deal with the overloaded Lorne Avenue trunk sewer involves constructing ponds on city-controlled property and rerouting storm sewers in two key trouble areas to those ponds.
One proposed pond would replace the greenbelt south of Dufferin Arena, taking runoff from the Dufferin-Brydges streets area. The other would be situated on the west edge of the city-owned Municipal course to isolate the Elgin-Norfolk area from the storm sewer system.
The golf course pond would be 4.0 hectares (9.88 acres) at the top edge, sloping to half that at the bottom, and capable of holding runoff from the ultimate storm (referred to as a 250-year event).
After a storm subsides, water would be pumped back into the Lorne Ave. trunk.
The maximum water level at any time would be three metres, or just under 10 feet. But one of the concerns of Municipal members is that the area will be dry more often than it's wet, making it aesthetically unappealing.
"It will just be a big pit," said Municipal golf course manager Jack Hishon, who said members have also expressed concerns about possible smells and stagnant water providing a breeding place for mosquitoes.
"Yes, we need to do something -- everyone realizes that. But you're destroying an awful lot of acreage. It's not worth ruining a golf course."
Ray Nothdurft, deputy director of engineering and public works, said he agrees that the pond will not be like a typical water hazard on a golf course. But he sees no reason that it can't be blended in as a natural area with vegetation.
"I think we have the ability to make it an amenity of the course," he said. "Our criteria is simply based on volume and functionality. But we look forward to working with the (golf course) board to strike a balance and make it a win-win situation."
He noted that a number of courses are building dry ponds for storm water management because of the higher level of diligence being required by legislation.
A package presented at a public information night on June 24 shows the proposed pond starting about 70 yards out from the first tee and running to the back of the No. 2 tee block. At its widest, it would stretch from Borden Street across the first fairway.
But Nothdurft stressed that the drawing was "a conceptual model" for discussion purposes and he would like to work with the club's board on various shapes that could be integrated into the course.
In fact, the engineering department is looking into the feasibility of two smaller ponds -- a suggestion which came from a club member -- with the second situated in an unused area between the sixth and eighth fairways that has been considered ideal for a pond for irrigation purposes.
They're also looking into a suggestion that a large pond could be located on recently-annexed land on the south side of Lorne Ave. rather than the golf course.
Using the pond, or ponds, for watering is one way the plan could be beneficial to the golf course. As well, soil dug from the hole could be used by the course for a variety of purposes.
One of the other concerns of the Municipal course is that most or even all of the practice area on the west side of the course might be taken out by a pond. That area is used for up to 100 youth in the junior program.
The Municipal course has about 700 members and sees around 30,000 rounds a year, Hishon said, providing golf at an affordable price at no cost to taxpayers.
The club's board of directors planned to meet tonight to discuss the issue.
The proposal is now in the public review period and copies of both the City Wide Storm Water System Master Plan and the South Side Storm System Class Environmental Assessment are available for viewing at city hall. The proposal will probably be looked at by city council in the next few months.
The pond system is one of eight alternatives brought forward by Dillon Consulting of London and deemed the most attractive because of low cost and quick implementation.
Source: Stratford Beacon Herald (Ontario, Canada)
