Despite the objections of nearby residents who described the project as an unnecessary "nightmare," the City Council this week unanimously approved a major underground flood-control project for Matadero and Barron creeks. The project site will run for nearly a mile along the Bol Park bike path from Gunn High School to El Camino Real.
The $5 million project, which will take two years to complete and require access by five-axle trucks through neighborhood streets, is the final phase of the Santa Clara Valley Water District's plans to provide 100-year flood control to homes and businesses along the creeks.
It will involve building a 4,300-foot long underground concrete box culvert that will be 12 feet wide and 12 feet high for about half its length.
The concept is to provide flood protection without disrupting the natural flow of the creek or lining the channel with concrete, as the water district has done downstream on Matadero Creek on the east side of El Camino.
Nai Hsueh, a supervising engineer for the water district, said nothing like this has been done anywhere else in the county. "We usually put concrete in the channel," she said.
At the start of the meeting, Mayor Liz Kniss reminded the crowd that the entire flood control project had been approved in 1988 and that the scope of Tuesday's discussion was limited. "This meeting is not intended to debate the need of the project," Kniss said. "It is to ensure that any negative impacts are mitigated."
Despite this, some residents pressed to discuss the overall need for the project. "My recommendation is to abandon it," said Samuel Elster, a longtime resident whose property runs adjacent to Matadero Creek for 250 feet. "In no way can a 100-year flood do as much damage as this project."
Bob Moss of the Barron Park Association disagreed. "This project is certainly going to create some problems in the community and inconvenience, but this is nothing compared to the damage of being flooded," he said.
Council member Ron Andersen commended the project as an "extraordinarily innovative way to protect the creek" and said it would set an example for other communities to follow.
In giving its approval, the Council stipulated that the contractor must keep excavated dirt on site and use it as backfill to reduce the number of truck trips, as had been recommended by the Planning Commission. In addition, all trucks of five axles or more will have to avoid use of Arastradero Road between El Camino and Gunn High School.
Construction is expected to begin on the first section of the culvert next month.
--Peter Gauvin
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