Saratoga News City readies itself for rainy season By Sarah Lombardo The city of Saratoga was fortunate enough to have escaped major damage in last year's El Niño rains. And staffers in the city's Public Works Department want to keep it that way this year. The department is in the process of finishing up a number of projects meant to reduce the city's chances of flooding should the area receive high levels of rain like last year. The drainage projects began in late July, John Cherbone, acting public works director, said. "Last year's bad storms brought out a lot of problems that were probably already there but only manifested themselves because of all the rain we took on," Cherbone said. Cherbone added that the projects will keep crews from having to go out to take care of some suspected storm trouble spots--where minor flooding has occurred in the past--and is preventive maintenance for spots where flooding is likely to occur in the future. The project included such improvements as new drainage areas, repair or replacement of storm drains and the construction of culverts. The project not only will help reduce and prevent flooding of streets and, in some cases, residents' backyards, but will prevent the erosion of hillsides--welcome words to Saratoga hillside residents. Areas worked on included Chester Avenue and Sobey Road, Pierce Road and Paul Masson Court, Lucey Avenue and Reid Lane, Bank Mill Road and Haymeadow Drive, Norton Road and Sigal Drive, Norton Road and Bohlman Road, Monte Vista Road west of El Camino Grande, Herriman Drive, Bank Mill Road and Carniel Avenue. The drainage project, Cherbone estimated, cost about $100,000. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 27, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.