EAST BRUNSWICK – Chronic flooding problems have residents on Louise Drive imploring township officials to have the problem fixed.
Neighbors showed up at Monday night’s Township Council meeting in hopes that officials will take action to ease the flooding that they said has plagued their properties for years. One couple, Ladio and Tracy Hanzes, presented a video showing the floodwaters and the damage they caused.
Louise Drive is located off Riva Avenue, adjacent to Bicentennial Park.
Ladio Hanzes told the council that the flooding is caused by a nearby easement, making it the township’s responsibility to remedy the problem.
“As you probably have noticed, the township has cut down most of our trees and left this area in our neighborhood unsightly,” he said. “This was done in an effort to improve stormwater drainage in this part of the neighborhood. We’ve been asking the township for help with this problem since 2003.”
Hanzes said the previous property owner warned him that the town had been “resistant” to making improvements. He said that in July the township proposed clearing out the easement and working on drainage at the top of it.
“It was all they could do. To do any more would require expensive permits from NJDEP [state Department of Environmental Protection], they told us,” he said.
However, the work ended up doing more harm than good, he said, as the town left stumps, branches and other debris at the easement, which the Hanzes said resulted in flooding that was even worse than before.
Another resident, Lisa Kaplan, told the council she was there Monday to support her neighbor, but that the drainage problems also affect her property. She said the side of her yard has been turned into a “running river,” and that there is an area of her property that never dries.
“I need to be taken into consideration too,” she said.
Hanzes said the township’s “solution” from July left him with a driveway that has large holes, and water, mud and debris in his garage and basement. He estimates the damage at $7,000.
In August, Hanzes said, he met with township representatives again, this time after contacting an attorney, a consultant engineer and the DEP.
“Much to our surprise, they presented us with the same plan they described before the July flood,” Hanzes said.
He presented the township with information from the engineer and DEP showing inadequate stormwater drainage and erosion controls. The findings also “showed no need for time-consuming or cost-prohibitive permitting,” he said.
Township officials agreed to add stormwater inlets, but declined to change the way water flows across the length of the easement, Hanzes said.
“We are simply asking the township to do the right thing and ensure our home and property are safe,” he said. “It is the township’s responsibility to design, provide and maintain adequate stormwater drainage.”
Township Business Administrator James White acknowledged that the easement is the township’s responsibility, and said he has visited the property and agrees that there is a drainage problem. He said he has authorized work to provide additional stormwater drainage. He said he realizes that this corrective work is not as extensive as Hanzes would like, but feels it will mitigate the flooding.
Hanzes pledged to be at every meeting until the issue is resolved. The fix, he said, is well understood.
“This isn’t rocket science,” he said.