County Promises Flood Mitigation Money to Larchmont and Mamaroneck

In an area both blessed and cursed by its proximity to the Long Island Sound, Westchester County is providing much needed funds to address floodwater mitigation in Larchmont and Mamaroneck.

In the beginning of February, the Village of Larchmont (VOL) was approved for a $2.3 million grant to, among other things, improve a drainage system that is undersized for the current need, said Jay Fischer, director of the Pine Brook Association.

And, although a portion of the grant will be utilized for water drainage infrastructure, the county will ultimately decide where the remainder of the funding will be allocated.  As part of the grant, the VOL will also need to come up with 50 percent of matching funds, totaling $1.15 million from sources outside the village.

“We don’t understand exactly what’s in there until the Board of Legislators votes on it,” explained Fischer.

The flooding in the Pine Brook area of Larchmont dates back as far as 1954, with reoccuring flooding of both streets and cellars in low lying homes after periods of heavy rain or high tides, according to a report from a village engineer posted in the Larchmont Gazette.

Today, the problem persists.

But, as several recent engineering studies and hydrologic modeling have proven, the aging drainage system is now overtaxed and in need of an upgrade after nearly a century of use.

“The most effective solution is widening the culvert [tunnel carrying a stream or drain under a road] so that more water can flow through it and there is more refinement to other parts of the system,” said Fischer.

The pipe—which narrows and flattens in the Pine Brook area—pumps in stormwater from three municipalities: 70 percent from New Rochelle, 15 percent from the Town of Mamaroneck and 15 percent from the VOL, totaling 1,024 acres of drainage.  Outflow is directed to on 2285 Boston Post. Rd.  

“The VOL did its homework early—got the application in as soon [2008] as the Flood Action Task Force established the program,” said Fischer, adding that although the village has been attempting to rectify the problem for decades, they only recently decided to appeal to the county for assistance.

But it’s not only Larchmont that bears the brunt of flooding.

The Village of Mamaroneck—many parts of which appeared to be immersed in water after —has not escaped unscathed from storms in August of 2010 and the Nor’easter of 2007.

“Right now the biggest thing is what the federal government is studying,” said County Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont), referring to an ongoing Army Corps of Engineers study in the village. “The study will come up with a report on how to fix the problem.”

In May of 2010, the federal signed a $6 million five-year reevaluation study of the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers to identify potential flood mitigation strategies for the village.  The first draft of the report is expected within 30 months of the date the project started. The project will analyze low channel capacity, small bridge openings and poor river flow at the confluence of both rivers, among other flood-causing factors, and will consider several alternatives, such as channel modification and a diversion tunnel.

For now, though, county funds will be allocated toward addressing river flow problems and structural issues on the Mamaroneck River by rebuilding the Anita Lane/Valley Place bridge, at a cost of approximately $2 million. 

“The sole purpose for the existence of the bridge is to support a County-owned four foot diameter sewer main that serves our area and region,” said Village Manager Richard Slingerland in an e-mail.

Efforts to control flooding began in 2007 when County Executive Andrew Spano pledged $50 million over five years for flood mitigation projects.  When County Executive Rob Astorino came into office in 2010, however, $30 million of the funding was nixed from his five-year capital budget, leaving the Flood Action Task Force that was established in 2007 to make recommendations for funding, essentially disbanded.

In 2009, Myers said, a total of $4.5 million in county funds were bonded for flood mitigation projects in the Town of Mamaroneck, City of Rye/Village of Rye Brook, Village of Scarsdale, and the Village of Tarrytown.  At this time, only the Gardens Lake project in Mamaroneck has been completed, with the remainder still in the early stages of development.

In 2011, the Stormwater Advisory Board—made up of 15 volunteers—was established under the Stormwater Management Law to make recommendations to the Board of Legislators regarding flood mitigation.

“The wheels are now moving again,” said Myers.

Editor's Note: The VOL will have to come up with a 50 percent match of county flood mitigation funds, not 100 percent as previously stated.  The article has been corrected to reflect the change.