The Weber Avenue Flood Committee scored a series of victories recently when the state Department of Environmental Protection granted Sayreville five permits necessary to complete a flood mitigation project.
The project, which involves the construction of an interim sheet-pile wall behind Weber Avenue, aims to help approximately 1,000 residents affected by South River flooding. In February the Borough Council appropriated $400,000, half of which was to be used to apply for DEP permits. The other half of the allocation was used to repair storm sewers under the road.
According to Borough Engineer Jay Cornell, the DEP granted waterfront development upland and in-water individual permits, a freshwater wetland individual permit, flood hazard area verification, a flood hazard area individual permit, and a water quality certificate. Fran O’Connor, a resident of Weber Avenue and committee chairperson, explained the significance of the permits to the Borough Council at its July 9 meeting.
“We are very pleased that the DEP granted the permits for work on the interim wall,” she said. “It was an arduous task to get to this point, and without the subcommittee, it would not have gotten done. This was a huge, huge step, and we would not be able to go anywhere without these permits, so we’re extremely happy.”
The entire project, which is estimated to cost $10 million, involves building a sheetpile wall as well as a new pumping station behind the street. Wetlands mitigation accounts for close to $2.5 million of the anticipated $10 million price tag, according to O’Connor.
The project would serve as an interim solution until the Army Corps of Engineers completes a long-term flood remediation program that has been held up for decades. O’Connor said the committee hopes to defer the wetlands mitigation costs to the Army Corps project or apply for a waiver if that is not possible.
Mayor Kennedy O’Brien commended O’Connor for her and the committee’s efforts, and O’Connor thanked Cornell and Chief Financial Officer Wayne Kronowski for their help over the last few months, noting that Kronowski “did not miss a beat” when he stepped in as a temporary business administrator for several months this year.
The committee’s next step is to find adequate funding for the project, first through requests to Middlesex County. O’Brien has previously expressed interest in providing the committee with a certain amount of financial help from the borough.
“There are two neighborhoods in Sayreville, the Weber Avenue and Old Bridge sections, and we’re saving both of them,” he said. “It’s going to be expensive, but what we incur if we don’t is the loss of vital parts of our neighborhoods.”
Contact Deanna McLafferty at
DMcLafferty@gmnews.com.