Q&A
Addressing flooding concerns and stormwater management in the rezoning area
0:34:04
·
5 min
Council Member Riley inquires about plans to address flooding and stormwater management in the rezoning area. Representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of City Planning provide detailed responses on current and future initiatives.
- Michael Kavalar explains the distinction between wastewater and stormwater management
- DEP's 2022 unified stormwater rule requires more on-site stormwater management for new developments
- Ongoing programs include a federally funded cloudburst program and the installation of rain gardens and porous paving
- Dylan Meagher from DEP elaborates on green infrastructure initiatives, including hundreds of rain gardens and infiltration basins across the affected council districts
Kevin C. Riley
0:34:04
Thank you.
0:34:04
In the zoning area that you have identified, all the areas that flood, what is your plan for addressing these specific areas years and is DP here.
Michael Kavalar
0:34:19
So I'm I'm happy to kind of start
Kevin C. Riley
0:34:22
and Yes.
Michael Kavalar
0:34:22
Hand it over to Dylan here.
0:34:24
So I'll just note that DDP takes a a very multipronged approach to Dylan with flooding issues.
0:34:29
We've certainly heard the concerns and we've seen the stories over the years about issues in the area.
0:34:34
So an important distinction.
0:34:36
We just wanna make sure those that might be watching are aware of as well.
0:34:41
Which is, you know, there's an important distinction between wastewater and storm water itself.
0:34:46
And so for wastewater issues, DP does ongoing monitoring of the needs there.
0:34:52
That would obviously happen into the future.
0:34:54
If any changes, generally, the infrastructure for wastewater is in good shape in the area.
0:34:59
Stormwater tends to be the issue we hear the most about and concerns with that.
0:35:05
And so I'll just note that in addition to some green infrastructure approaches, DEP also has recently updated the 2022 unified storm water rule that requires that more storm water be managed on-site.
0:35:19
And just an important point here is pretty much all of the development within the rezoning area predates that rule, and so we can expect that development in the future would perform better in terms of managing storm water on-site and that's something we certainly expect.
0:35:35
I'll also just note that and I'll I'll ask Deep if they wouldn't mind speaking to them so I don't flub it.
0:35:40
But there are a number of programs currently ongoing in the area, which include a cloud burst program that's federally funded in the area study of ongoing needs for flooding in the area.
0:35:54
There are a number of rain gardens, for instance, that have been added stretching all away from Hunt's point to Coop City and also just note, DP is is already looking into providing porous paving as well to help with flooding flooding issues.
0:36:06
So in portions of the rezoning area and and around the rezoning area.
0:36:10
And so those are just some of the many things that DPU is doing.
0:36:13
So I'll hand that off to Dylan.
Kevin C. Riley
0:36:14
So I just wanna swear Dylan then first.
UNKNOWN
0:36:17
Exactly.
Kevin C. Riley
0:36:18
Before we do, we've been joined by a counselor, Barbara.
UNKNOWN
0:36:23
Thank you.
0:36:23
And could you please raise your right hand.
0:36:26
You swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in your testimony today and in response to council member questions.
UNKNOWN
0:36:31
I do.
UNKNOWN
0:36:32
Thank you.
Dylan Meagher
0:36:35
So I guess to expand on that.
0:36:36
So regarding, you know, if I'd Universal Stormwater rule.
0:36:42
That will manage 1.5 inches of rain on new development.
0:36:47
That will either disturb ground or also develop new undeveloped areas So that isn't a really important factor of, you know, the addressing storm water management across the city and here too where there will be new development.
0:37:07
Michael spoke about the the green infrastructure across across a number of the consult districts, all the consult districts that this is touching.
0:37:15
So there are hundreds of of rain gardens and and infiltration basins, which are kind of like main gardens, but under the sidewalk, across the area that's already there.
0:37:26
In the near term plans, DP has 2 major near term plans for addressing Stormwater.
0:37:33
1 is the poorest pavement, which is a little bit more on the western side of some of the council districts, but we are looking at opportunities at some of the locations that council members have reached out to us about regarding flooding to see if the poorest people can overlap in the help of those areas, and the poorest people there will help manage typical storms, more like 1 and up to 1 inch storms.
0:37:58
But along with that, the the porous pavement helps infiltrate stormwater more quickly into the ground.
0:38:04
And then there's the our cloudburst program, which some of you may have heard about, we've spoken with a number of the community boards, and I believe the Morris Park bid, Morris Park app bid about it, and this is kind of amplified green infrastructure.
0:38:22
So using natural systems to generally not put the water into the storm storm sewer system.
0:38:29
But to keep it out of the storm, our sewer system, but to manage a larger storm, which is a 10 year storm projected into 2050.
0:38:36
And this is very exciting investments.
0:38:38
A lot of it's going to include porous, but also investments in some public properties, and that will stretch from kind of the 6 train down to the 5 train.
0:38:50
Or, anyway, we we'll be happy to get more details to you about that.
0:38:55
And then lastly, there's the Moores Park flooding hotspot investment, which is a little bit more of a midterm, so not next couple of years, but within the next 5 years, we're hoping to make another stormwater investment there where that will connect kind of amplify the sewer management of storm water there.
Kevin C. Riley
0:39:18
So, Darlene, you spoke about rain gardens, and I love them.
0:39:21
The issue with them and within a lot of our communities is maintaining of them.
Jim Wright
0:39:24
Mhmm.
Kevin C. Riley
0:39:24
Usually, when we're calling 311, and we have constituents that live in our communities that call in 311, It's always a fight between agencies on who that specific rain garden belongs to or who's supposed to clean it.
