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MAMARONECK, N.Y. A contract has been awarded for silt removal and river maintenance, allowing digging to begin soon at various sites, according to the Village of Mamaroneck Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee.
Silt will be removed from riverbeds at Bob Walker Park and Columbus Park, as well as from rivers and streams near North Barry Avenue, Grove Street and Fenimore Road, Village Manager Richard Slingerland said at Tuesday night's meeting. Silt removal will also be done near James Street in a section of the river where the road to nowhere, as to local residents call it, is located.
Its a decent price, and if the town wants to do some work we can share, said Dan Sarnoff, assistant village manager.
The village is also beginning to work toward a comprehensive Community Rating System for the National Flood Insurance Program. The program recognizes and encourages flood plan management in municipalities. Once a village, town or city is compliant with a certain rating, flood insurance rates can be reduced.
Its a lot of technical terms and gathering documentation, said Sarnoff. There are strong public education, capital and regulatory components.
The committee also talked about regulations the village could enact to prevent flooding. Committee members Benny Salanitro and Paul Ryan endorsed limiting the amount of pavement allowed per property. Even though it would be difficult to make regulations retroactive, new regulations could change the way parking lots are built.
Can we modify local laws to curtail expediential coverage on local properties? Salanitro asked the committee.
Ryan also mentioned how poor drainage in upstream municipalities affects Mamaroneck Village during heavy rains and other severe weather. He said he wanted the committee to lead the local area by example.
If we want them upsteam to do something, then we have to do something here, he said.
Slingerland will send a letter to the county about a sewer pipe hanging out of the riverbank off James Street, near the bridge to nowhere. The pipe lies in Harrisons jurisdiction.
The next Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 25.
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