From:	Fries, Greg
Sent:	Wednesday, September 16, 2009 5:20 PM
To:	Pien, Janet
Subject:	FW: Proposed Storm Sewer Assessment--Hillcrest Drive, Zwerg Drive,
	Glenway, S. Franklin Avenue

For BPW record on Item #15 


Greg Fries, P.E.
Principal Engineer
City Engineering
Room 115 City/County Building
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
 
P-608-267-1199
F-608-264-9275

-----Original Message-----
From: sandra cole [mailto:srcole@madison.k12.wi.us] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 4:49 PM
To: Fries, Greg
Cc: amyjane66@charter.net; jpwoods@charter.net; pjrooney@charter.net; 
shwerther@gmail.com; GMeyer@mge.com
Subject: Proposed Storm Sewer Assessment--Hillcrest Drive, Zwerg Drive, 
Glenway, S. Franklin Avenue

Dear Greg Fries,

After the August 5 public hearing of the Board of Public Works, homeowner 
Dennis Appleton (3709 Zwerg Drive) talked with several of us homeowners about 
his observations of the property at 3704 Hillcrest Drive, which belongs to the 
complainant in this issue. 

Dennis Appleton said that approximately 4 to 5 years ago, the owner at
3704 Hillcrest created a project that involved his moving dirt in his yard and 
piling up several earthen mounds.

Dennis Appleton gave me permission to observe the 3704 Hillcrest property from 
his backyard, which backs up against the complainant’s backyard.  I observed 
that there are several quite significant mounds of earth placed around the 
back yard that are now topped with prairie plants and marsh grass and 
therefore not immediately obvious.  The plant growth in the area is now very 
dense and tall.

From what I could see from that observation point, it appears highly likely 
that the elevation contour changes and the large earth mounds created by the 
property owner may well impede the former natural drainage.  I submit that the 
owner substantially altered the drainage pattern in the area, thereby 
producing the drainage problem himself. 

The property owner’s initial complaint about drainage problems occurred after 
the earth-moving project was carried out.  Prior to that time, as noted at the 
August 5 hearing, no water drainage complaints had been made in the history of 
the neighborhood.

The home owner re-contoured his own property and now asks the city (and the 
neighbors) to pay for what appears to me to be his self-inflicted drainage 
problem.

I respectfully request that the backyard re-contouring and earthen mounds be 
inspected again in light of this new information and that the proposed sewer 
assessment be voted down.

I plan to attend the Public Works meeting at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, September 
16.  Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Sandra Cole
3729 Zwerg Drive
231-1699