Commission votes to resolve Dayton drainage dispute

A Dayton man who built his home in a drainage area and then created a diversion around his house is not creating a risk to his neighbors.

That's the determination of a study by Denis Smith of Western Engineering, paid for by Lyon County. Smith concluded that water flowing downhill from Dick Kordonowy's Schaad Lane property did not reach the neighbors' property, and only posed a risk to Kordonowy's home.

Smith said there was a natural drainage course that goes through the property, under Schaad Lane that moved at 23 cubic feet per second in a 100-year event.

"It's a pretty defined channel up there," he said.

"If we had a 100-year event, it would only impact Mr. Kordonowy," he said. "Water will go out of the drainage, onto the driveway and into the culvert."

Smith said he suggested some ways Kordonowy could alter the ditch and add a culvert himself to protect his own home, but not at county expense.

The Lyon County Commission voted to have County Manager Dennis Stark write a letter clearing a cloud over Kordonowy's property title.

The only other option was for the county to request a two-foot easement so they could fix the problem, but Kordonowy was opposed to that.

Stark said the easement was not necessary.

"It's our position we don't need an easement because we have an engineering assessment that indicates it won't affect other properties," he said. "If he (Kordonowy) doesn't want to protect his property, that's his business."

The county in 1999 gave Dick Kordonowy a certificate of occupancy for this Schaad Lane home that he built in a drainage area, then Charles Swanson, former Public Works director, requested he restore the drainage flow in a 2002 letter. Kordonowy fixed the problem by creating a diversion around his home, and neighbors were concerned runoff could impact their properties.

The county paid $2,000 for the study to be completed.

- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.