By Peter Quigley
Flooding questions to be re-considered on North Street bridge project:
Is the town’s DPW North Street Bridge project ill-timed until town fixes it storm water drainage infrastructure problems outlined in 2011 and 65 projects of CDM-Smith study ($20 million for Brothers Brook) and its recent request to fix Grass Island and pumping station facilities (another $100 mil+) to insure there is little ‘commingling’ drainage take-away by its MS-4 federal-state permit in rain events of 1” in 1-2 hours in conflict with 8-30g?
Does town have sufficient storm and sewer capacity to handle its build-out?
1. Town Flooding – Will the $3+ million ‘state’ grant for a North Street Bridge project exacerbate flooding, drainage, commingling of storm water with sewerage, and further river, harbor erosion problems that currently exist? Are state grants the tail that leads the cart? Where is The Plan? Where is the money?
2. Should town projects be delayed until a plan and infrastructure is completed? Where is the town’s FECB (Flood & Erosion Control Board) on all these projects?
3. Costs, taxpayer investments – Will there be unforeseen cost overruns, and other town drainage expenses at this site requiring an additional $30 mil (in DPW presentation last week) on top of $20 million from the 2011 CDM-Smith report which indicated $25–$300 mil infrastructure works needed by town? And what about a portion of the taxpayer investments to repair Grass Island facility ($95 million) and pumping stations for capacity take-away identified over the past 4 months of 2024 by DPW? Or at other town MI sites (i.e. Hamill Rink, CMS & Old Greenwich schools) Where is The Watershed Plan?
4. And then there is the ongoing impact of state’s DEEP bridge project just below high school on Post Road – RTE 1 in Brothers Brook – how is it all to be evaluated with taxpayer costs?
Are we setting up for Black Swans? Is the cart ‘before the horse’ (plan, fix, and funding)?
Suggestions to consider for the long term – Watershed Management Council
Maybe time for the creation of a Greenwich Watershed Management Council to coordinate long term Watershed Plan including funding, and address the flooding, flow, watercourse development, erosion, drainage, silting harbors, and commingling issues of the 8-9 watersheds in town and for funding and the public information on other Municipal improvements.
• This could be done by a RTM legislative initiative through its Land Use, Public Works, Budget Overview Committee to arrange appointment of an independent Watershed Management Council with a comprehensive 5-15-30 years Watershed Management Plan, suggested 12 years ago, overseeing flood conditions, connecting the dots of town departments, collaborating with all town departments – reporting 2-3x a year, directly, to Board of Selectmen/women for support of long-range funding to support a short & long term Watershed Management Plan, since the problem is across all neighborhoods, 8 watersheds – are town-wide in every neighborhood.
• A Watershed Council comprised of environmental engineers, low impact development (LID) experts, land use ‘planners’ with innovative ‘watershed’ type approaches, and outside financial expert, along with RTM and BET collaboration, FECB civil engineers– to coordinate short-long term Plans
with necessary funding oversight creatively using municipal bonds – bringing innovative solutions to town-wide problems that appear to be getting worse with the population explosion and land over-development growth!?
‘Change’ requires Leadership at all levels of govt – takes courage, confidence – a vote and a choice!
Peter Quigley, town resident, Five-term RTM; First Harbor Management Commission (2013-2016)