Wednesday, October 22, 2003

F’ville must address dangers of Pye Lake dam collapse

On Sept. 18, I attended the Fayetteville City Council meeting on the stormwater issues. I also had the opportunity, in my capacity as president of the board of directors of the Lafayette Garden Homes Home Owners Association, to address you and the other council members on the dangers and fear that our almost 200 citizen in our community experience everytime a heavy rain comes along. After the flooding of June 16 of this year, the reality of a potential dam breach of the Pye Lake is definitely frightening. Should this happen, you can expect that several casualties may occur among our aging (60 to 90 plus years old) population.
A recent article in The Citizen highlights the state of Georgia’s finding that indeed the Pye Lake dam is defective, thus reinforcing the fear we already experience.
On the council meeting, Mrs. Harriet Parham, owner of Pye Lake, expressed that she had offered to drain the lake, It seems to me, as it is to our other directors and many of the residents in the community, that this may well be the most secure, and financially the most economical solution. We urge you to take quick and definitive action to eliminate the flooding dangers.
I would highly appreciate your response to this matter, so I can respond to our community.
Gerald Molloy
Fayetteville, Ga.