Pittsfield Working on Decades-Old Drainage Issue in Ward 3By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:19PM / Monday, July 15, 2024 | |
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is working to solve a more than 30-year-old drainage problem on Newell Street.
The Public Works and Utilities committee heard an update Monday on a project to address flooding at 9 Newell St. Water runoff reaching the drainage outlet behind the property is flooding it, unable to reach an intermittent stream meant to carry that runoff.
"This is the situation I inherited and I want to make sure that the residents and the families around that area can have this issue resolved. They've been told that it would have been done this year and it's a problem," Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn said.
Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales agreed.
"I wish we could be faster at this. It is something we’ve all inherited, as you’ve mentioned. We want to get this done. We’re working towards that," he said.
"Right now, we would not be in this position if we had not spent the time we have spent looking at design options to get to this point."
Work includes extending the outfall with a pipe following the route of the intermittent stream and eventually releasing the water into it that leads to the east branch of the Housatonic River. Morales explained that he has $400,000 in fiscal year 2024 capital improvement funds for the project and it will likely cost between $500,000 and $600,00, requiring an additional request.
The additional costs are based on the "now evident" extent of the work and land acquisition.
From the beginning, the main barrier has been land conservation and natural resources permitting. With the new design, the city is aiming only to require a local Conservation Commission permit and the work can likely be bid in the fall with construction starting next spring.
"The intent is to get into the Conservation Commission agenda for August," City Engineer Tyler Shedd reported.
The issue goes back to flood mitigation efforts in the 1930s when an oxbow was buried.
"The answer is always money. You can throw more money at something to get it done sooner. We could do this project in an entirely different way at a greater cost and avoid all permitting entirely but it involves rerouting and completely redoing the stormwater drainage structures on Elm Street," Shedd explained.
"The drainage on Elm Street, generally underground, goes from William Street down the neighborhoods to Elm, and then at Elm, it tries to continue across Newell and everything because there used to be the oxbows there, where those were closer."
He said the drainage could be routed to go west down Elm Street to the river but it would involve tearing up a half mile of roadway, adjusting the elevations, dealing with sewer and water conflicts, and it would be a million-dollar project.
Morales added that this would be "essentially restructuring everything" and that is not presently on the table.
"What's on the table is taking this outfall and upgrading it to something that's much more, not only environmentally friendly but friendlier to the neighbors around this area, especially 9 Newell Street., and to do that, we have to deal with permitting," he said.
Wrinn explained that he really wants the project to get done and residents hoped to see an outcome this year.
"I’m going to stay on top of it," he said. "I appreciate all the work you guys have done."
Shedd pointed out that the project is on private property requiring easements. The biggest property owners in the work area are the Patriot Car Wash on Elm Street.
Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey asked what would happen if property owners didn’t agree to the easement. It could be taken through the eminent domain process.
"One of the important things of having the easement is that the easement allows you to access it to maintain it, so they wouldn't be able to in the future, say ‘You can't get back in here,’ they can't build a fence and keep you out. You have an easement to maintain it. So I think that's another reason why it's important to go this way," Shedd said.
"I think if it really hit absolute worst case, we can't get the easements are the rights to build the project the way it's shown, I think that's when we're forced into the most expensive and extreme option of finding another way through a city street."
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