By Skyler Hollins
Lexington city officials are figuring out which neighborhoods they will prioritize in addressing
stormwater runoff and flooding.
For years, residents have experienced flooding caused by concrete and paved surfaces that do
not absorb heavy rain. The situation has gotten so bad that the city imposed a fee based on the
square footage of impervious surfaces on property.
From June 17-24, the city experienced several intense storms that overwhelmed its stormwater infrastructure. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell in one 24-hour period, which caused what is known as a 100-year storm event.
Four neighborhoods tend to get hit the hardest in severe rainstorms: Main and Jefferson
streets; McLaughlin and Meyers streets; Wallace Street to the fire station; and Randolph and
Henry streets.
It would cost an estimated $3.1 million to fix all the broken and decayed pipes and culverts that are supposed to manage the flow of stormwater through the four neighborhoods. The city can’t afford to do them all at the same time, said Patrick Madigan, public works director.
He said the most immediate project is the Main and Jefferson area. Its cost is the cheapest of
the four, at an estimated $49,875. But it is also the most urgent because the area has heavy
traffic flow that could make the situation worse, he said.
The McLaughlin and Meyers project is estimated at $211,860, Wallace Street at $846,045, and
Randolph and Henry streets at more than $2 million.
At this stage, no final decisions have been made.
Approving a new stormwater project
First, the public works director makes a recommendation to the city manager. Madigan said he’s done that, recommending that the city start with the Main and Jefferson streets project first.
Next, the city manager will make a recommendation to city council.
Finally, the council will vote on whether to spend the money for the project.
“The recent storm sequence underscores Lexington’s stormwater system’s vulnerability and the importance of ongoing capital improvement efforts,” Madigan wrote in a July 8 council work session report.
The storms hit days before the city’s new stormwater fee went in effect on July 1. The city
expects the fee to generate about $220,000 in Fiscal Year 2026 and $440,000 in FY 2027.
Even with the expected revenue from the stormwater fees, the city will still be short of its $500,000 goal.
“That revenue is what feeds into that fund to then move out,” Madigan said. “So, it’s new and it
only has $14,000 in it right now … from the first month’s collection.”
The public works director said the city is implementing the fee in increments, which means
residents are paying only half of the expected full amount for their respective properties. City
officials are also looking into possible state grants to supplement the fund.
Madigan said the projects are ranked by advantages and disadvantages, such as cost,
community impact and ease of construction. He said the Randolph and Henry streets project
poses many of the most significant challenges.
Overcoming obstacles
Before work on a project can begin, a preliminary engineering report must be conducted. The
assessment helps workers identify negative conditions, such as decay or blockages that make
the project more difficult or expensive.
Engineers try to insert a camera inside the pipes and culverts.
“If we can get into these with a camera, we can physically see if there’s any blockages, decay, deformity, also get a general idea of the age and condition of the pipe,” Madigan said.
Sometimes, Madigan said, that’s not easy because of the density of the rock in the area.
“You’ve got a lot rolling terrain there, and you know, we’re called Rockbridge County for a reason,” Madigan said. “There’s a lot of rock underneath the surface. And some of the unknowns is how much rock is there based on the alignment.”
Some of the worst damage
The Randolph and Henry area has sustained some of the worst flooding and damage.
Tim Welsh owns three properties in the area that have flooded multiple times over the years,
including last summer.
“Seven years ago, I started talking about my problem,” he said.
Water from a nearby water source overflows the culvert. The water then flows into Welsh’s
basement and crawlspaces, causing damage and mold.
Welsh said he’s also concerned about water flow issues that could be exacerbated by possible
future development in the area.
“I just don’t want to see any more development before they fix these pipes and get this fixed,”
he said.
The expected cost and complexity of the project have led the city to push it to the bottom of
the priority list and delay the engineering assessments.