Drainage problems cause flooded areas

By Shawn Jett

With all of the construction underway, students, faculty and administration are faced with a maze of barriers, jackhammers and wet cement when trying to get to the Student Services and Classroom Building. Now they are presented with another challenge every time it rains hard - 5 to 6 inches of water. Dan Wilson, director of planning and contract administration at UH-Clear Lake, said the flooding is a direct result of the design of the sidewalk. Due to the lack of a drain and the fact that the landscaping is built up so high, the sidewalk acts as an aqua duct and retains the water when it rains. This results in students and staff wading through high water in order to enter the building. "Students find themselves in 5 to 6 inches of water, soaking shoes, socks and calves," explains Assistant Dean of Student Life David Rachita. "Precariously, sidewalk users have tried to navigate this watershed by tightrope walking the slanted curbs. As you can imagine, not only is it somewhat of a hazard, those affected must then uncomfortably sit through a three hour class with wet, cold and slimy shoes and pants." Although the flooding causes problems for everyone who tries to enter the building, it has an even greater impact on those with disabilities. A sidewalk covered in 5-6 inches of water is not accessible to people with certain disabilities. "The flooding on the new sidewalk will create an issue for people like myself who depend on electric mobility," said Josephine Tittsworth, vice president of Student Outreach Communications. "The depth of the water when it floods will cause my electric scooter to short out and result in an undue large expense to repair. I have a class in the new building this semester and there is a possibility that if the flooding does occur, I will not be able to attend my class." "The sidewalk needs to drain properly for all students including those with disabilities," said Sean Murphy, coordinator of Disability Services. "No one should have to go through that much water to get into the building." Wilson is intent on getting the contractors to fix the sidewalk. In an attempt to make them understand the depth of the problem, Wilson dressed in a snorkel and life jacket and posed on the sidewalk with an umbrella for a picture that he then sent to them. "I staged those pictures to demonstrate to the architects how bad the situation really is and to get them working on a solution quickly," Wilson said. "They said they needed to ‘see' the problem. They seldom get their feet wet up on the 37th floor of Williams Tower." The solution to this flooding problem, explains Wilson, will be to install trench drains at the base of the sidewalk and part way up. The goal is to have them installed over the upcoming holidays. The non-landscaped area has already been lowered, which has offered some relief. "Until the problem is fixed, it might be advisable on rainy days for students to go through the Bayou Building and through the faculty entrance to get to the building," Rachita said. "That seems to be the higher side." In addition to the repairs that will remedy the flooding, another sidewalk is also being installed. It will create a shorter and more direct walk for those who are parked north of the building. The new sidewalk will be from lot "D" to the north entrance of the building.