City hears residents’ concerns, agrees to widen Willow Branch Creek
In response to concerns from Riverside Avondale Preservation, the city will widen the channel of Willow Branch Creek, which is currently under construction as part of a restoration project.
Nearby residents and RAP were alarmed when they learned that the contractor was narrowing the creek from 17 feet to 12 feet near its mouth, which is near St. Johns Avenue and Yacht Club Basin in Riverside. The city said narrowing the creek would not reduce its capacity, but nearby residents, who have experienced repeated flooding, challenged that assumption.
City Council Member Randy DeFoor convened a meeting in November with RAP Executive Director Warren Jones, RAP Chair Brooks Andrews, Public Works Director John Pappas, City Engineer Robin Smith and Jimmy Orth, executive director of the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
“We had a really good discussion,” Jones said. “I think many of the residents’ questions were answered so they understood better what was happening.”
In response to the meeting, the Public Works Department addressed some of their concerns.
The channel will be widened to 18 feet by “turning the wall at an angle until the width of 18-feet is reached, and then angle back to a 12-foot wide channel at St. Johns Avenue to match the existing box culvert,” Pappas said.
RAP and the Riverkeeper also objected to the use of precast concrete that is nonporous. They asked for a living shoreline that would be more resilient.
Pappas said the east side of the channel will remain at its current location to protect nearby buildings. The west side “will have rubble rip-rap placed at the toe of the wall to make the canal more resilient and aid with creating habitat for plants and small fish.”
Nine trees will have to be removed on the west side. The city has now asked the Parks Department to be involved in the choice of trees to replace them.
“We’re very pleased that they’ve recognized that the section along the creek is part of the Parks Department, and they’re now involved,” Jones said.
Concerns about silting from the project that is affecting the yacht basin will have to wait until the project is completed because it involves the Army Corps of Engineers.
“Pappas was very good at explaining what they were doing and why. We’re hopeful that going forward, in the next phases, we’ll be able to work together on a plan that meets some of the resiliency concerns we have,” Jones said.
By Lilla Ross
Resident community News
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