Politics & Government

In the Wake of the March Storm, Rye Debates Flood Tactics

During Wednesday's Rye City Council meeting, several residents asked for the city to do more to prevent flooding.

At the Rye City Council meeting Wednesday several residents questioned the city's flood prevention tactics, arguing that elevating the dam and abandoning the multi-million dollar Bowman Avenue Sluice Gate project would be the best way for Rye to prevent widespread flood damage.

Residents of Mendota Avenue, including Bernie Althoff, Peter Sinnott and Tom Clayton, told the City Council Wednesday that recent rainstorms and minor flooding have made them concerned that the catastrophe of the 2007 floods could happen again.

"It's not a question of if we'll get another flood similar to 2004 and 2007, but when," said Sinnott, a 38-year Rye resident who has made several appearances at the Council in recent years to argue for elevating the dam another two feet.

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Sinnott said the dam, which he argues has been effective since 1940, "works 95 percent of the time," and that arguments which claim the dam is structurally unsound are "complete B.S."

Assistant City Manager Scott Pickup said the dam broke in 1938 and that's why it had to be rebuilt in 1940, and no one, except Sinnott, has ever suggested raising the dam.

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"Where Mr. Sinnott is coming from, from an engineering standpoint, is indefensible," he said. 

Before Sinnott's comments, Pickup gave the Council an overview of the city's response and damage costs for two recent storms, saying that Rye did not suffer any major damage, but had basically "dodged a bullet."

Pickup said that two recent storms had cost the city more than $180,000. For the storm on Feb. 26, the city accrued about $88,000 in overtime and damage costs, while the March storms, which , cost the city $98,800.

Pickup said several sewer pump stations were severely affected during the March storms and that the city needed contractors to keep up with the flow because the stations were in danger of being inundated with water and suffering electrical shortages to equipment.

Pickup said some residents notified authorities about minor basement flooding. There was also minor flooding in the Highland Avenue parking lot, for which police issued an alert to residents who may have had cars parked in the area.

The city suffered no residual damage to bridges and no damage to the Rye High School turf field, Pickup said.

The city's main focus in its flood prevention efforts is the Blind Brook Watershed, which is surrounded by residential developments. The city suffered more than $80 million in damage during the 2007 floods, which also nearly destroyed the Rye YMCA.

Bernie Althoff, another Mendota Avenue resident, said the city should focus on catching the water upstream to prevent flooding of downtown and other areas.

The city will implement the $2.2 million Bowman Sluice Gate project, which would reduce flood elevations on the Blind Brook during major storms. The city will receive more than $1.5 million in state and county funds for the project. It will also enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the Village of Rye Brook, which is expected to contribute another $136,000 to the project.

But Sinnott, who has experienced 10 floods, said the sluice gate is "a waste of money."

Councilwoman Paula Gamache said the city knows the Bowman project isn't the only solution to prevent flooding, but the project is a viable remedy while the city looks at other alternatives.

"We know this isn't a magic bullet. This is something that we could do that would be helpful," she said. "We are still looking at other options and are pursuing them."

But Tom Clayton, who lives in Indian Village near the Blind Brook, said that the city has made some worthwhile improvements, but that Pickup's comments about the city dodging a bullet does not put residents at ease. Local government should act with more haste before another catastrophe occurs, he said.

"We should consider ourselves very lucky," Clayton said. "I understand the bureaucracy and that things take time and that funding is important, but the real message here for the City Council is the sense of urgency." 

"Dodging bullets is not effective public policy."


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