Assemblyman Mike Spano: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Must Address Flooding in Yonkers

YONKERS< NY -- Assemblyman Mike Spano (D,C,WF-Yonkers), called on the United States Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to release their findings of a Reconnaissance Phase Study that they conducted and propose a plan of action to remedy the on-going flooding situation in Yonkers.  

“We can’t prevent Mother Nature’s wrath, but we can mitigate the effects on our residents,” Spano said. While there is no easy solution to a problem of this magnitude, it’s critical for a real plan to be created - simply continuing to conduct more studies is not enough. Unfortunately, Yonkers is once again facing a crisis due to inaction.”

In one location, the Brooklands cooperative development located alongside the Sprain Brook Parkway on Palmer Road, residents are in such high danger of total devastation that they have been forced to hire their own flood control specialist in hopes of building a flood wall – this should not be their responsibility.

“Our city cannot continue to be reactive to the serious problems we face,” said Spano. “It’s already too late for those currently out of their homes following Hurricane Irene. ACOE must put a plan in place now to prevent serious flooding that will without doubt occur again in the future if nothing continues to be done.” 

 

Comments

[Pay for your own property.]

Wrong. The US Corps of Army Engineers, should not be used, they are not reliable in these situations. If they were they would have fixed this in the first place, years ago.

Secondly, all private properties are and should be responsible for their own properties. Not the taxpayer. These properties were built in flood plains and beside a river, so the issue becomes who allowed buildings to be built in the first place?
The same goes for houses built beside the ocean, not the taxpayers business. The houses that flood year in year out in NJ, are the same. The people who bought them know floods are a sure thing. They get the properties cheap and are amazed when the rivers flood.

This press release is no doubt the first of many pandering to the electorate, and that itself is disgraceful. It's time to cut out the BS, and tell us how you are going to get Yonkers fixed.

[anon]

Pay

While I agree that the Spano daily pandertorial are loads of crap, to make the blanket statement "all private properties are and should be responsible for their own properties. Not the taxpayer. These properties were built in flood plains and beside a river, so the issue becomes who allowed buildings to be built in the first place" is wrong.

I am going to keep this short and sweet. The short answer is: the government did. It is called a building permit.

But there is a bigger issue. Many of the properties in the Bronxville and Bronxville PO/Yonkers neighborhoods that border the Bronx River were constructed in the 1920's and 1930's when the laws were different or non-existent.

More importantly, improvements such as the Sprain Brook Parkway and other commercial improvements over the decades have altered the drainage patterns and caused more flooding than was the case when these properties were built.

Should the property owners be financially responsible for offsite improvments made by the State or by commercial property owners in subsequent decades that increased flooding? That is an Army Corp issue.

[Flood's 'R Us]

Thanks Mike or Nick, however I agree with Pay, private property owners should be responsible for their own costs. While there is no doubt much corruption in the planning permit business in the past and some in the present, then shore up your property and keep the government out of private business.

[Jack Treacy]

The simple solution is drop the water drastically in the unused Sprain Resevoir in the early spring and in the beginning of the hurricane season in August.The Sprain Brook causes the flooding along its own banks and at the confluence with the Bronx River.Don't listen to old Hannah!

[yo voter]

everyone realizes hat the appropiat agency is the army copr thanks mike for taking the inititive once again ignore the malcontents.

[Bored with it all]

This has been an issue for decades. Why is Mike suddenly interested in it and why hasn't he been working on this for the entire time he has been in office. If he really cared he would have used his offices to address it from the first day he was elected. Just pandering.

Flooding has been a problem along the Saw Mill and Bronx River since at least the 1960s. I agree with the writer who noted that most of the properties predate the flooding by many years. Changes in the speed of runoff, as a result of decades of development, need to be considered.

[I LIKE MIKE]

great job mike

[Jack Treacy]

A litle history;The Bronx River channel was diverted to expand Lawrence Hosital in 1949.The Sprain Brook was diverted in the area of Palmer and Central to construct the Sprain Brook Parkway.The level of water in the Sprain Resevoir would drop in the summer as it was used for by the population for drinking and watering lawns. The NYC has to drop the water level drastically in the unused resevoir to stop much of the flooding.Yonkers and Bronxville shoud sue NYC for damages and force them to exercise flood control.

[Pugano]

What about Kai Irwin getting rewarded with O.T. for his true cheating character.. Looks like there are plenty of cheaters in Yonkers! I guess he is protected by others in power....