St. Paul – One of the biggest projects to come out of years of storm water planning in St. Paul is moving another step closer to reality.

Town council approved up to $75,000 for Associated Engineering Monday night to begin preliminary engineering work on a major west-end storm water project designed to improve drainage and reduce flooding concerns.

The overall project is estimated at just over $2 million, with approximately $1.4 million already secured through Alberta’s Drought and Flood Protection Program.

“We’ve reached the point where we are ready and able to appoint engineering services for our stormwater project,” CAO Steven Jeffery told council.

Jeffery said the Town and County began an intermunicipal storm water plan in 2018, identifying areas of flood concern and prioritizing both replacement of existing infrastructure and construction of new infrastructure.

“Today, we’re able to take another step toward the largest of them all,” he said, referring to the addition of storm water ponds and conveyance improvements stretching from 60 Street to 53 Street.

Starting with $75,000 — not the whole engineering bill

Engineering services for a project of this size could eventually reach approximately $350,000, but council isn’t committing that entire amount yet.

The initial $75,000 will allow Associated Engineering to begin environmental approvals, surveying, preliminary design, geotechnical investigation where required and project management.

The money is eligible under the provincial funding already secured for the project.

Council also questioned how the remaining 30 percent of the overall project would be covered.

“We do not [have it covered],” Jeffery said. “With the 30 percent remaining, there is some room for negotiation with our municipal partners, being the County of St. Paul, to help offset those dollars, whether it’s a cash contribution or work-in-kind.”

Preliminary conversations have included the possibility that the County could perform some of the construction work, which could then count toward the local contribution.

Stormwater improvements will run through the golf course

The project comprises seven concepts, with the first three located west of 57 Street and the remaining four following the existing drainage corridor through the St. Paul Golf Course.

An existing slough west of 57 Street would be expanded.

“We would end up with a much larger storm pond there than what we currently see as a slough,” Jeffery explained.

The larger pond would be able to hold more water before releasing it downstream at a slower rate to help reduce flooding.

Changes are also expected within the golf course itself, including an additional pond near the first hole, another between holes four and five and improvements to the Town’s final water retention area near 53 Street and the walking trail.

That prompted questions about what the work could mean for the golf course.

Jeffery noted the provincial funding is specifically for drought and flood protection, meaning the province doesn’t want grant dollars spent simply improving a recreational amenity.

Any purely aesthetic work would fall to the Town.

However, Jeffery said the golf course will still be taken into consideration as the project is designed.

“Every effort would be made to make sure that the playability of the course would not be compromised,” he said. “It would be improved upon.”

Council approved the $75,000 initial engineering phase.