Drainage Is an Issue for Highland Heights Green Space Project

Highland Heights City Council is having the city engineer prepare site plans for the green space project at the municipal complex.

"This will address the grading and drainage of that area," Councilwoman Cathy Murphy said at Tuesday's council meeting.

The issue of drainage came up at last week's council caucus meeting, as council members discussed a gazebo, community garden and other ideas for the site. Assistant City Engineer Brian Mader said land could be graded to accommodate the gazebo, but something needed to be done to address overall drainage before more amenities are added.

"As it proceeds, drainage is going to become an issue," he said. "As you block it off and change the grading, you have to figure out where the water is going to go."

Council members cautioned that there is no certainty that plans will remain because the public may want other features. However, Mader was authorized to prepare plans based on a conceptual site plan prepared by landscape architect Douglas Nemeckay.

Meanwhile, Service Director Thom Evans is preparing bid specifications for the gazebo, which Nemeckay envisioned in the center of the site, which is just west of the city hall property.

The gazebo will likely be a 27-foot or 30-foot octagon, the latter of which translates to about 650 square feet. Evans advised that a 24-foot octagon would probably be too small.

Council also discussed adding a circular sidewalk and benches around the gazebo.