courtesy of the Morning Sun

Flood damage to parks in Mt. Pleasant was less than originally estimated, but will still be costly for the city to repair.

In all, the city is planning to spend $340,000 over two years on repairs of damage at city parks and the ball diamonds at Island Park and Pickens Field caused by extensive flooding in Mt. Pleasant in late June.

City officials already had planned numerous parks projects, as part of the five-year capital improvement plan.

On Monday, city commissioners approved shifting those priorities, meaning flood repairs will be done first and the other projects will be delayed.

“Our estimate right now, to return the parks to their pre-flood conditions, is approximately $340,000,” City Manager Nancy Ridley said. “Our recommendation was getting those areas back to that condition was likely more important than some of the other capital projects that we had planned over the next two years.”

The other projects are deferred until the city determines if it will have funding available from insurance for the damage or funds that might be made available through the state, Ridley said.

Approving the $340,000 now, means the city can go ahead with the needed work.

When city staff first met with FEMA, about 10 days after the flood, there were concerns that there was significant damage to the Mill Pond dam, which would have meant it needed to be replaced.

“We were concerned there may have been significant damage to many of our pedestrian bridges. The good news was, once the water receded, and the engineers came in and evaluated both the pedestrian bridges and the dam, replacement was not necessary in any of those cases and instead they recommended some repairs to each of them,” Ridley said.

The city now has budgeted $140,000 for flood repairs at the parks and $10,000 for the ball diamond for this year. An additional $190,000 is budgeted for repairs and support at the ball fields in 2018.

Of that, $18,000 is for repair of the Mill Pond dam and $11,000 is for pedestrian bridge repair and inspections.

The new Timber Town 2.0 playscape, which was built in Island Park with the help of community volunteers just weeks before the flood, made it through with relatively little damage, Ridley said.

According to the city, Phase 1 of the flood repair involves “Repairs needed to safely restore parks to operational levels as close to or equal to pre-flood conditions.”

The following is the cost breakdown, provided to city commissioners Monday. It includes funds spent to date.

• Initial flood cleanup and removal of debris: $10,000;

• Mill Pond dam repair: $18,000;

• Asphalt repairs, trail, road, parking lots: $8,000;

• Concrete repair, sidewalks and sewers: $6,000;

• Tree-shrub replacement and flood trimming: $12,000;

• Picnic tables and trash house replace: $5,000;

• Merchant and warming house buildings, repair and replace equipment: $28,000;

• Mission Creek bridges and trail repair: $8,00;

• Overlook decks and canoe landings: $5,000;

• Riverbank restoration and repair: $8,000;

• Pedestrian bridge repair and inspections: $11,000;

• Spray Park and Skate Park repair: $5,000;

• Playground repairs: $6,000;

• Sport court repair and shuffle building: $5,000;

• War memorial repairs with building, $2,000; and

• Water repair and back flow preventer testing and repair: $3,000.

Phase Two of repairs in 2018 will include the ball diamond and supporting areas.

Those projects include electrical repairs at Island Park fields, including infield surfacing, replacement of pitcher’s mound and batter’s box and fencing repairs at three fields ($70,000); electrical repairs at Island Park fields, including power shed building repair ($8,000); repair score buildings at fields two and three ($18,000); dug-out repairs, $10,000; outfield turf repair ($4,000); field maintenance repairs stored on site, such as chalk, Turface, field paint and equipment ($7,000); and a contingency fund of $10,000.

Repairs at Lower Pickens are budgeted for $73,000 in 2018.