This
page is to document the
citizen volunteer sidewalk project on chestnut drive in Doraville GA.
After lots of discussion, plans, arguments and the like we are finally
getting started on this first of what I hope can be many "self help"
community improvement projects in the city. This was brought about by
city councilman Tom Hart and his belief that we should be able to do
these sorts of projects on our own without spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Some of these projects like the sidewalk up
Central Ave have actually been estimated in the millions! I agree that
it's absurd to spend our tax money on over budgeted "pork barrel"
projects and we should either do them ourselves or look to the private
sector for help when needed.
Let me first explain what the project entails and the problems involved. We are going to build a 5 foot wide, ADA approved sidewalk between Buena Vista Ave and Buford Hwy along Chestnut drive. This will complete the sidewalk along Chestnut that now ends at Buena Vista and connect this part of the neighborhood to the downtown area of the city. The two real problem areas are along the Happy Karaoke Bar and the area in the dip on Chestnut where the storm drain is. We decided to attack the storm drain problem area as the first part of the project since it's going to be the most involved.
The issues of concern at the storm drain are two fold. First, the storm drain itself is in the wrong place. It wasn't built at the low point of the dip and as a result, when it rains there is a small lake in the road. Below is a shot showing the storm drain and where the low point actually is, which we found surveying the area. As you can see, this shot was taken after we had started work on the area and had cleared out all the kudzu, removed a broken fence and started some preliminary digging.
To solve this storm water drainage problem, we are building a concrete lined drain flue which will route the storm water from the road to the stream bank, which we will then line the bank with rip-rap to keep the bank from eroding. Then we plan to build a short wooden bridge across this concrete drain flue. We had to fix this drainage problem so the sidewalk wouldn't be underwater when it rains. Below is an overhead shot of the ditch that was dug to pour this drain flue. We blocked the entrance to the flue for now so storm water wouldn't run down it before the concrete liner is poured as well as installed double silt fencing to protect the stream.
Let me first explain what the project entails and the problems involved. We are going to build a 5 foot wide, ADA approved sidewalk between Buena Vista Ave and Buford Hwy along Chestnut drive. This will complete the sidewalk along Chestnut that now ends at Buena Vista and connect this part of the neighborhood to the downtown area of the city. The two real problem areas are along the Happy Karaoke Bar and the area in the dip on Chestnut where the storm drain is. We decided to attack the storm drain problem area as the first part of the project since it's going to be the most involved.
The issues of concern at the storm drain are two fold. First, the storm drain itself is in the wrong place. It wasn't built at the low point of the dip and as a result, when it rains there is a small lake in the road. Below is a shot showing the storm drain and where the low point actually is, which we found surveying the area. As you can see, this shot was taken after we had started work on the area and had cleared out all the kudzu, removed a broken fence and started some preliminary digging.
To solve this storm water drainage problem, we are building a concrete lined drain flue which will route the storm water from the road to the stream bank, which we will then line the bank with rip-rap to keep the bank from eroding. Then we plan to build a short wooden bridge across this concrete drain flue. We had to fix this drainage problem so the sidewalk wouldn't be underwater when it rains. Below is an overhead shot of the ditch that was dug to pour this drain flue. We blocked the entrance to the flue for now so storm water wouldn't run down it before the concrete liner is poured as well as installed double silt fencing to protect the stream.