Request a copy of the feasibilty study done for the storm water improvements to correct the flooding. I do not believe the $20M mayor told you. Many, many ways of doing things to reduce that cost.
I would love to see where the current lift station pumps to and the entire downstream route. I bet I can come up with a low cost solution in 15 minutes for a low cost route for additional downstream capacity.
I would love to see where the current lift station pumps to and the entire downstream route. I bet I can come up with a low cost solution in 15 minutes for a low cost route for additional downstream capacity.
The stormwater leaves the lift station in a 18” forcemain that runs east on 7th Street. It switches to gravity sewer and eventually ends up in a 54” storm sewer which outlets to Albert Lea Lake between 9th and 10th street.
Replace/up the pumps at the lift station and add a secondary outlet pipe. Directional drill the new outlet pipe from the lift to 7th and then east under 7th to Frank Hall then north in Frank Hall to the existing outlet into the lake. Approximately 8 blocks of a directionally drilled pipe. Total guess but a 12" HDPE may be enough to releive a good portion of the flooding when used in conjuction with the existing system.
Say each block is 400 feet long so you will have 3,200 feet +/- of 12" driectionally drilled HDPE. I would say a good ball park estimate is $100/ft to do that work so you are looking at $320,000. Even if you double that you are at a pretty cheap remedy.
$20 M? Mayor must be planning on totally reconstructing all roads and utilities along whatever route they are looking at using.
Hope you can talk to Minnow, or the Mayor, or Jahnke about this and get something moving to help out the flooding.
Back a few years when there were some real rainy seasons. The level of the lake where your pumping station is destined would rise to such a level that the storms drains were ineffectual.
So you had water just sitting backing up onto locales like. . . Newton and Front. It got real stinky. And took a while for it to finally recede. It didn't help the car wash that was there for a brief time I'm sure.
So say you get this extra lift capacity. Does the outlet sit high enough to make the pumping successful? And If the lower ones downstream are underwater aren't you just adding to flooding someplace else?
I have read the new dam at Albert Lea lake could be lowered to draw down the lake. Which some said on this forum couldn't be done. Maybe they meant in a fast flood control fashion.
The lakes have been fairly high recently. And I have wondered about that capability.
But I think given the history of all the flooding prone areas. Your retaining pond suggestions AND buyouts of houses in some areas is a good idea.
I think they, the ponds, could also serve a second purpose of creating scenic beauty as well. And kind of take the harshness and blighted levels down a but in some areas.
Replace/up the pumps at the lift station and add a secondary outlet pipe. Directional drill the new outlet pipe from the lift to 7th and then east under 7th to Frank Hall then north in Frank Hall to the existing outlet into the lake. Approximately 8 blocks of a directionally drilled pipe. Total guess but a 12" HDPE may be enough to releive a good portion of the flooding when used in conjuction with the existing system.
Say each block is 400 feet long so you will have 3,200 feet +/- of 12" driectionally drilled HDPE. I would say a good ball park estimate is $100/ft to do that work so you are looking at $320,000. Even if you double that you are at a pretty cheap remedy.
$20 M? Mayor must be planning on totally reconstructing all roads and utilities along whatever route they are looking at using.
Hope you can talk to Minnow, or the Mayor, or Jahnke about this and get something moving to help out the flooding.
LIKE! I agree that it could be done for no more than a million dollars.. $320,000 to $1.5 million.. The Milo lift station just cost $127,000..
I came up with $618,000 for this route below and it will be completely new .. Then I added an Emergency Backup Generator and pilings from Virginia Place to James Ave, then the street resurfacing..
Flooding could be eliminated for MN Hwy 65 (Broadway Ave S), Newton Ave, Virginia Place and Frank Ave for less than $1.5 million dollars..
24 inch Force main from Virginia Pl to St Joseph Ave on 6th St and then Gravity Storm Sewer from St Joseph Ave to Albert Lea Lake.. No need for reconstruction of 6th St since there is no storm drains on 6th St that would affect the run.. A little mill and overlay..
Emergency Generator included..
Cheap improvement that should have been done 40 years ago..
Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr is nothing less than a complete moron for saying it would cost $20 million to correct the flooding..
He says that you can't do something that benefits just one area..
But I think given the history of all the flooding prone areas. Your retaining pond suggestions AND buyouts of houses in some areas is a good idea.
I think they, the ponds, could also serve a second purpose of creating scenic beauty as well. And kind of take the harshness and blighted levels down a but in some areas.
I agree Hymie, I told the Mayor that its time to start buying some real estate..
Virginia Place flooded 5 times in 2013, 2 times in 2014 and twice already this year..
There is a resident on the 1200 block of Virginia Place that had their homeowners insurance deductible raised to $2500 because of all the flooding claims..
100 year flood plain is a joke on Virginia Pl in Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007.. Its an Annual Flood Plain that is not caused by a lake or a river, only neglect by the City..
Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr and Al "Minnow" Brooks have an opportunity to improve their legacy before their term is over.. Just Stop the Flooding..
Force Main on pilings should be roughed in during the Reconstruction of Virginia Place so the street wouldn't have to be tore up when the City finally does their job..
Honorable Mention to was1 for the effort to improve the City of Albert Lea for everyone..
IMO, if it's not part of the Blue Zones, it won't get done. Sad, but true.
Kehr-PLOP!
And Ol' Sparky. Still playing fast and loose, even back then.
That place is like Centralia, Pennsylvania, but without the fire.
Get out of that 'hood while you can. They didn't have any interest in fixing the problem in '78, back when the local economy was relatively good. What makes you think they'll be able to do anything now?
Interest rates were like 13% to 15% back in 1978..
Cash is cheap today at 4% to 5%.. Now is the time to make infrastructure improvements..
A Detention Pond near Virginia Place is to be part of next year's budget with leftover Shell Rock Watershed Funds with the approval of Freeborn County and the City of Albert Lea..
Its a good start and I couldn't be more happy of the possibilities ahead..
Thank you to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioner's for their influence and also to the City Engineer..
Where will proposed ponds go? Who is designing them? I hope they do some feasibility studies on this to see if they will make enough of a difference for the residents in this area or if the cash will be best utilized for lift station upgrades and, as we’ve proposed, an additional outlet force main to the lake.
Keep the pressure on the council and mayor so an actual fix happens instead of another band aid. And keep questioning the $ #’s they seem to just throw out to the public to squash anything that they don’t want to do. I really get tired of politicians squashing projects that need to happen to improve failed infrastructure by throwing out dollar amounts that are made up and greatly inflated so they can then spend the money on their sexier pet projects.
Our (USA) whole political system is broken from the top all the way down to little old Albert Lea. We need more citizens getting involved and staying after the elected “leaders” to do what is necessary and what is right, even if they don’t want to because it won’t “win them any votes”.
What’s the status of the Virginia Place project now? Out to bid yet?
Mayor must be planning on totally reconstructing all roads and utilities along whatever route they are looking at using. 
I agree that it could be done for no more than a million dollars.. $320,000 to $1.5 million.. 
The Milo lift station just cost $127,000.. 
