(EL DORADO, Kan.) — An El Dorado neighborhood has safety concerns about the design of a new school. They're worried about rain water retention ponds that could cause a drowning or worsen an existing flooding problem on Arthur Street.
Last November, voters approved plans to build a new Skelly school right next to the existing 60 year-old facility. Construction is underway with at least four large retention basins in each corner of the property.
"They will have water in them for a short amount of time during a storm and those pipes are sized such that they'll release it onto the street at the same rate as it was before the new development was done," said project architect Vince Haines of design firm PKHLS.
But longtime El Dorado resident Larry Winzer isn't convinced all the standing water will drain. He told FactFinder 12 Investigators, even a small amount could pool in the retention areas and create a hazard for young children.
