Combating Rising Waters

by Cindy Goldstein -

At the June 23rd Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting, Assistant Village Manager Dennis Delborgo outlined the Flood Mitigation Program.  See HERE. Since he started with the Village a few months ago, Delborgo has been working on a comprehensive plan to combat flooding.

The Problem

The Village is vulnerable to flooding from three primary sources – stormwater, riverine and coastal.  The risk of stormwater flooding is exacerbated by aging and undersized pipes that become inundated with water during heavy rain events that are occurring more frequently. Groundwater in some areas makes it worse.  Riverine flooding occurs when water in the rivers gets backed up due to narrow channels and obstructions along its path to Long Island Sound.  Finally, the Village’s long coastline is threatened by projected sea-level rise and inundation from coastal storms.

The Program

Delborgo described eleven tasks in the program including: preparing a project “inventory” (scope, priority and cost), working with the newly formed volunteer Flood Mitigation Committee, establishing an Emergency Management Working Group of staff and department heads, regular stormwater catch basin cleanout, river maintenance, review and updating the land use and stormwater laws and grant writing to help fund critical projects.  Many of these tasks are underway or scheduled.

Seeking Help

With the enormous price tags for these projects the Village needs help with funding.  Some projects can be started with permission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and grant applications are pending for various projects including preliminary planning and design work (e.g., Ward Avenue Bridge).  The Village also has several grant applications pending for the Swift Current and Congressionally Directed Spending programs. 

Start at the Bottom

Fixing flooding issues upstream that would then exacerbate or create flooding downstream is counterproductive.  The plan is to work at downstream locations and then work upstream as the goal is to move water more quickly downstream into Long Island Sound before it has a chance to flood houses and businesses.

Bridges Are the Key

Much of the focus is on the many bridges in the Village that create a choke point where water backs up and creates flooding.  The final appeal to FEMA for work on the Tompkins Avenue Bridge was denied but there are other potential places to find money.  The report goes on to address other bridges such as Ward Avenue, Anita Lane and Halstead Avenue.

Work Has Been Ongoing

Grants have been approved for several projects that have been started and/or completed including stormwater drainage improvements at Ralph and Gertrude Avenues.  The stormwater drainage improvement project at Jefferson Avenue and Wood Street is “shovel ready” and BOT approved the project at the meeting.  Additionally, the buyout of one property is in progress with seven properties expected to be elevated (if the approvals are received).

Grants Awarded and Applied For

The $6.6 million grant for flood mitigation from New York State (NYS) is through the Green Resiliency Grant (GRG) – the largest flood mitigation project in the Village.  The money is for floodplain enhancement, channel improvements and flood bench construction.  These actions will better control the flow of water by absorbing and then gradually releasing it.  In addition to the NYS funds, the Village has included money in the capital budget and will pursue additional funding from Westchester County, NYS and the Federal government.

Another grant received from NYS is to study the entire 1.5 mile Harbor sea wall and develop recommendations/specifications for repair and reconstruction.  Another funding proposal was conditionally approved for rehabilitation or removal of the Mamaroneck River Dam.  This would be a joint project with Westchester Joint Water Works with a consultant study and modeling of the dam in progress.  Both of these projects are expected to have very high price tags.

Various other grants have been or will be submitted this year, and others are currently under consideration.  Deadlines are rapidly approaching for some, and it’s a race to get the applications completed.

Parallel Path

In order to keep the process moving ahead, Village Manager Kathleen Gill described the “parallel path” the Village is taking to get the planning and study phases underway.  This will put the projects in the queue so when funding is received (fingers crossed) they can get started quicker.