With developers and builders continuing to show strong interest in Newcastle, the City Council continues to wrestle with decisions which can impact not only the business side of housing, but also the future expenses of the residents who purchase homes here.
Among recent agenda items presented by City staff, but which was not approved, is an ordinance which would provide for the use of plastic pipes in driveway culverts. These would replace the use of corrugated metal pipes. The Council’s agenda for their August meeting showed adoption of Ordinance 1001, which would have allowed the use of HPPE piping (polyethylene pressure pipe) under driveways for drainage. The ordinance indicated that they could be used as long as they are installed per manufacturers’ specifications.
Among those specs is a requirement to install with one foot or more of cover; however, other municipalities including Oklahoma City require installation with an engineer recommended two foot or more of cover, according to City Council member Todd D’Amico, who was opposed to the ordinance. D’Amico also said Oklahoma City does not approve the use of HPPE pipes for driveways.
Developers had sought to use the HPPE pipes because they are cheaper to initially purchase than corrugated metal. Council members determined that with the additional grade and space which would be necessary in the culverts resulting from a two-foot cover of the pipe, the savings going from metal to plastic may be offset.
Although the ordinance was not approved, the council determined that developers continue to have the plastic piping option, but would have to come to the Planning Commission and City Council to request a Planned Unit Development. By doing so, the developers could stipulate that they will be using plastic piping and then the city could determine if they wanted to sign off on it, and the work would undergo the subsequent city inspections.
