HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230378 Washington Land Disturbance Public Comment (10)RE:Public commentary regarding Washington Land Disturbance Project
From:Eric Schenone
10/5/24
My name is Eric Schenone,I am a longtime city resident and property owner.One of the
properties that I currently own is located at 23 Outlook ave.My house is one of the oldest in this
part of town and was built in the 1950’s before all the development in the Central,Outlook,
Newton avenue area which began in the 2000’s.I am writing to express a number of concerns I
have regarding this proposed project.
The original land near my property was always wet,but has become significantly more
saturated after all the fill was brought into the area with the construction of new houses.Part of
the increase in development in this part of town was spurred on by the city extending the water,
sewer,and groundwater resources out to Outlook Ave.It allowed my property,which originally
had a septic system,to connect to the city sewer system.The city’s current water runoff plan for
the area has a receptacle at the end of Division street,at approximately 29 Outlook ave,that
carries water runoff from Outlook ave into the city’s system.The new houses in the
neighborhood have all brought in fill so that they sit at a higher elevation than the original
houses in the area and those along the north side of Outlook ave have also built earthen
barriers at the rear of their properties to help with water issues.What this has done is cause the
natural flow of water to the lowest elevations in the neighborhood,specifically my property.
While some of the water flows into the city’s catch basin at 29 Outlook ave,not all of it makes it
there.
We continue to have significant water issues at our property,our back yard floods with water
every year.We had our basement jackhammered out to a depth of 2 feet to add a full drainage
system a few years ago and the sump pump associated with our system needs to run on an
hourly basis to keep the water out of our basement.Before we added the battery back up,our
basement would begin to flood if we lost power for more than 2 hours.We rerouted the
discharge of the sump pump from the rear of the property to the front in order to minimize any
water at the rear of the property.The rear of the property is my biggest concern.It is bordered
by the property associated with this land disturbance project.That land currently has two
wetland/ponds on it,one which directly borders my property and overflows onto my property on
a regular basis.During the spring the rear portion of my property is under water for weeks at a
time as the wetlands overflow and the water flows to the lowest natural elevation,my property.
The water in that parcel of land is stored in the wetlands,absorbed into the land,and helps
nourish the wooded forest currently present on land.To allow that property to be clear cut and
leveled would eliminate all the natural areas for the water to dissipate and most likely force even
more water onto my property.While the land owner has recommended ways to remediate the
water situation in their proposal,building what appears to be a culvert at the border of my
property and theirs,I do not believe it sufficiently takes into account all the water issues that are
present in the area.Looking at the outfall location map from the city (attached below),it shows
how the water on that parcel of land is supposed to connect to a natural stream/tributary and
flow across West ave.Clearing and grading the property would eliminate the natural flow of
water in our neighborhood.
We also have no indication of what the property owner plans to do with the property once they
have cleared it.I can only imagine they are looking to develop it,possibly commercially,which
would add buildings,parking,and significantly increase the water run off onto neighboring
properties.The city made a deliberate decision in the early 2000’s when they extended the
wastewater system to Outlook ave and did not choose to extend it beyond to West Ave.I
believe they did this because they clearly saw that the property between Outlook and West
already had wetlands on it and a natural water flow in the opposite direction.The groundwater in
the neighborhood is also very high and any additional development and displacement would
potentially push that water table even higher.
The final major concern I have regarding this project is the elimination of greenspace in the city.
One of the reasons that we deal with the existing water issues in our neighborhood is that it is
one of the few places left in the city where you can actually see a forest.The property is a
natural habitat for birds,deer,and a multitude of other animals.The forest also works as a
natural noise buffer between the commercial businesses on West ave,the train and bus station,
and all of the apartments recently constructed on the west side of the city.Looking at the
property owners proposal,I see no plan to leave any vegetation to help maintain greenspace in
our city.The plan looks to simply eliminate any trees and wetlands for the purpose of having a
giant cleared space of land with no defined purpose.It would be an environmental tragedy to
lose one of the few wooded wetlands,and the closest to downtown,left in our wonderful city.
I am very concerned that disturbing the land in the way designated in this project will have a
substantially negative impact on our neighborhood.It will make an already challenging water
situation worse,eliminate one of the last natural areas in the city,and do so for no added value
to the city or its residents.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments.I truly appreciate all the hard work and
time you put into making our city a vibrant place to live.I understand that there are a number of
options you must look at when determining if projects are appropriate in making our city a better
place to live.Please don’t disregard the voices of those of us that live in this neighborhood.
Respectfully,
Eric Schenone