May 9, 2019
Media Contacts:
Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022
Christine Lowe, Project Manager, Department of Public Works, 410-313-0522
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County’s Departments of Public Works (DPW) and Planning and Zoning (DPZ) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, May 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Patapsco and Avalon rooms of Howard County Library System’s Miller branch, located at 9421 Frederick Road in Ellicott City, to discuss the studies related to Council Bill 56-2018 (CB56-2018): Tiber Branch Watershed and Plumtree Branch Watershed Safety Act. The studies were applied to Ellicott City neighborhoods, including but not limited to, Valley Mede, Chatham, Nob Hill, Dunloggin, Dorsey’s Search, Autumn Hill, Taylor Village and Stonecrest.
“Flood mitigation and storm water management need to be priorities. We should be leaders in better understanding and implementing best practices related to planned and future land use, drainage infrastructure, and Watershed protection,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “We will work together to address flooding in our community and improve public safety,” continued Ball. “This process needs to be transparent and community-driven. This meeting will allow experts to report their findings publicly and will give attendees the opportunity to ask the questions that matter to them.”
CB56-2018 required DPW and DPZ to study “the extent to which existing, planned, and future land use, storm water management, drainage infrastructure, and flood mitigation for property that drains in whole or in part to the Tiber Branch Watershed or the Plumtree Branch Watershed, and any other relevant factor, may contribute to flooding in each Watershed …” and submit “recommendations about changes in law and procedures that may help protect the Watershed from the effects of future flood events.”
The goal of these studies was to perform drainage assessments and improvement studies on public and private properties of existing stormwater infrastructure (i.e. inlets, pipes, manholes, outlets and swales), opportunities for improved stormwater infrastructure and management, and opportunities for water quality improvement.
This public meeting will provide DPW and DPZ an opportunity to report their findings and recommendations resulting from its analyses of the Tiber Branch Watershed and Plumtree Branch Watershed Safety Act. In particular, the County will report on the stormwater retrofit studies for the Tiber Branch and Plumtree Branch Watersheds.
At the meeting, attendees will also learn about ongoing engineering designs in the Tiber Branch Watershed and Plumtree Branch Watershed, including:
- In the Tiber Branch Watershed:
- Quaker Mill Pond
- Pond H-7
- Pond T-1
- Rogers Avenue Drainage Improvements
- 8600 Main Street Culvert Improvements
- Church/Emory/Old Columbia Pike Drainage Improvements
- In the Plumtree Branch Watershed:
- Greenway Drive 2 Drainage Improvement
- Michaels Way Drainage Improvement Project
- Valley Mede Culvert Replacements
- Paulskirk Drive Drainage Improvements
- North Chatham Culvert and Channel Design
The meeting will include a formal presentation, followed by a question and answer period. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit information tables representing specific projects. County staff and project design consultants from Biohabitats, KCI Technologies, McCormick Taylor and Century Engineering will also be on hand to answer any questions
Those unable to attend the meeting who would like to view the plans and/or have questions should contact Ms. Christine Lowe with the DPW’s Stormwater Management Division at 410-313-0522 or email cslowe@howardcountymd.gov.
An interpreter for people who are deaf or hard of hearing will be available if requested seven working days prior to the meeting. Please call DPW at 410-313-3440 (voice) or use Relay at 7-1-1, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For questions or more information about these studies, contact Lisa Brightwell, Public Works Customer Service, at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.