Special Public Flood Mitigation Meeting Held at Bronxville Board of Trustees Meeting
By Stephen E. Lipken
Bronxville Mayor Mary C. Marvin called the Monday, September 9th Board of Trustees meeting to order, inviting public comment regarding the Hamilton/Homesdale Flood Mitigation Update. Marvin introduced two Engineers, Arshad Jalil, Principal, Professional Consulting LLC and Paul J. Pelusio, Principal, J. Robert Folchetti & Associates, LLC.
Marvin said that she received statements from the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA and Westchester County officials.
Water from Hamilton/Sussex goes as far as Iona University, coming down side streets, across Pondfield. Village Administrator James Palmer remarked that the DPW is adding catch basins and manholes. “We almost lost a police car in the flooded roadway at Hamilton/Sussex,” Palmer noted.
Homesdale resident Nick Sheumack called for transparency and asked Marvin whether independent consultants were hired; Marvin replied that they were. There were also numerous complaints from other residents regarding flooding of basements, yards, attics and driveways.
Palmer emphasized that there was no bonding, but a one-year Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) encompassed $2 million for a General Water Study.
Mr. Palmer added that a 24-inch pipe on Hamilton Avenue between Pondfield Road and Sussex Avenue will be replaced as well as replacing a stormwater conveyance pipe on Homesdale Road above Locust Lane to eliminate its 90-degree angle.
Then Jalil observed that Homesdale Avenue lacks a catch basin, “and you want to make sure that water in the catch basin does not bubble out. There are no storm drains on Sturgis Road.” He found that pipes sag due to sediment and slope of the pipes should not exceed 10%. While finding pipes more than 70 years old, Jalil averred that well-maintained pipes last over 50 years. He suggested that some pipes can be relined rather than be replaced.
Pelusio stressed that some pipes have limited capacity, and water often cannot get into pipes fast enough.