Walnut : Drainage Repairs Approved
A proposed solution to a drainage problem in the Gartel-Fuerte area was approved last week by the City Council after more than an hour of testimony by affected residents.
The council agreed to install drainage structures along the north side of Gartel Drive and to re-grade a 700-foot strip of the road to keep water from pooling at a point that locals call “Lake Gartel.”
But the council decided not to reconstruct the easterly intersection of Gartel and Fuerte drives. City Engineer Ronald Kranzer had proposed that the narrow hairpin turn be widened as a safety measure, but residents said the extra asphalt would undercut the area’s rural character and encourage motorists to negotiate the turn at dangerous speeds.
Residents said they feared an improved intersection might lead to heavier use. “We don’t want the road improved for higher traffic volume,” said Tommy Smith, president of the Gartel-Fuerte Homeowners Assn. Kranzer said the estimated $135,000 drainage improvements should be finished by Thanksgiving.
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