Glynn drainage fixes draw flak

By TERRY DICKSON | The Times-Union
May 19, 2006

BRUNSWICK -- As Glynn County begins a $6 million upgrade of its drainage system, two environmental watchdog groups say it is another example of taxpayers footing the bill while developers profit.

The Center for a Sustainable Coast and the Altamaha Riverkeeper say developers have built on land that was formerly wetlands and paved over natural drainages, causing flooding in other areas. Land timber companies drained decades ago to grow pines has been converted to residential neighborhoods, Holland said.

Dave Kyler, executive director for the Center for a Sustainable Coast, said the county is fighting a losing battle.

"You can't keep up with it. We're fighting nature,'' Kyler said.

When developers install drainage systems that don't do the job, it falls to the county to fix things, Kyler said.

"We are subsidizing bad development and the public is paying for the profit margin,'' he said.

James Holland, the Altamaha Riverkeeper, asserted that "misguided stormwater drainage systems'' in new subdivisions are doing irreparable damage to the coastal environment. Damaging the marshes and estuaries could ultimately harm the tourism industry, he said.

Noting that the county is spending millions on the drainage system, Holland said, "We had darn well better get it right this time because we may not get a second chance.''

Tuesday, Glynn County announced it would spend $3 million for new equipment and $3 million for larger culverts, catch basins and other improvements on the existing system. John Carter, director of Glynn County Public Works, said Norfolk Southern Railroad has also agreed to improve drainage under some of its railroad beds. Those and other choke points may have impeded the flow of runoff in the past, he said.

Carter said Thursday he is mystified at the objections over cleaning out ditches, canals and culverts.

"I don't understand the objections to maintaining existing drainage structures,'' he said.

Speaking of last October's widespread flooding that resulted in calls for drainage improvements, Carter said a lot of it resulted from poor maintenance.

"There was a lot of property under water last fall,'' he said.

Carter also said developers probably did all they were required to do, install drainage for a 50-year storm event. It is thought, however, that last October's storm that caused extensive flooding was probably a more than 100-year event, Carter said.

As to the assertion that wetlands had been developed, Carter said Glynn County's development regulations are based on state and federal law.

The review process of the permit application is all done in public, giving anyone who wants the opportunity to comment, he said.

Carter said there is money in the upcoming budget for the hydrological study that Holland wants.

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