Going Broke on Brookside

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

As residents close to Iona College continue to clean up and dry out from flooding resulting from Hurricane Irene, in comes more rain causing even more expense and more damage. Brookside Place and Halcyon Terrace homes continue to bail out and start over again as drenching rains wreak havoc in our streets. The current sewer system cannot handle any heavy rain due to its current infrastructure thus causing streets to instantly flood, sewer caps to float away and water, namely sewer water to back up into tax paying manicured homes. Water backup means basements fill with water causing more than just mold issues. Serious health hazards are posed by raw sewage entering living space. Essential appliances get submerged, carpeting needs to be ripped up, tile floors buckle, sheetrock gets wet, furniture and countless personal belongings are lost and the list goes on. The City of New Rochelle has to take more initiative, dig deeper into their finances, search for grants or something to relieve these homeowners of a problem that New Rochelle should be responsible to eliminate. Too many years are flying by and the problem still exists. “Less frequent” flooding doesn’t cut it. Flooding still exists. A sewer system designed to handle its work load is a priority and needs to be on the agenda.

The City has responded to photos being posted of the area mentioned on another occasion. The neighborhoods appreciate measures taken by the City of NR Sewers and Drains to clean out storm drains and free some of the sewers of debris but it unfortunately is not repairing the issue. The system needs an upgrade. The residents in this area need the burden and expenses of flooding lifted and the City needs to take responsibility. Ultimately, it’s time to call in the Army Corps of engineers to decide and figure out exactly where New Rochelle needs to begin and to design a plan to fix the problem.

4 thoughts on “Going Broke on Brookside”

  1. Brookside Flooding
    Has anyone give this any thought ? When Capelli and Trump wanted to build this tower in downtown United Water insisted on well over a million dollars in “improvements” to the sewer system . The only building that has been going on in that area is Iona building up the area like crazy . Do you think that may have something to do with the system being so overtaxed in that area ? Iona wants to build more ? I say they pay to improve the sewer system in that area before another brick get put down .

  2. Brookside Flooding
    Has anyone give this any thought ? When Capelli and Trump wanted to build this tower in downtown United Water insisted on well over a million dollars in “improvements” to the sewer system . The only building that has been going on in that area is Iona building up the area like crazy . Do you think that may have something to do with the system being so overtaxed in that area ? Iona wants to build more ? I say they pay to improve the sewer system in that area before another brick get put down .

    1. Brookside Flooding
      This particlular community continues to soak up the City’s empty promises to rectify the invariable flooding of streets and homes for many years. The Noreaster in 2007 had many residents on Brookside evacuating even leaving by boat bringing the flooding topic to an alarming level of attention . The City did some research, explained to residents how the system was working and how it needed to be working. In a nut shell, it will cost millions of dollars. Hence, New Rochelle cannot afford it, so we have been told. I see it more like… “Frankly darling- I’m not building a damn” …

      If tax abatements can be given away like candy to kids dressed up in costumes, and properties can be handed away for a dollar at a time (along with light greasy stipulation) and retail facilities are not living up to their contractual responsibilities to create revenue and get away with it. It doesnt take much thought to see that much of the wasted revenue needs to either be redirected to those who understand business, tax income and retail or be handled differently or by someone new all together. We need to prioritize our decisions in this city. Iona’s proposed dorm looks lovely, and drawings are wonderful. Next step should be to draw the current sewer system in the area on Brookside and Halcyon Terrace. Next we create the dorm’s projected “tie in” to our current system. Then lets see what impact the dorms would have, likely putting even more strain on an already grappling pipe system. With all due respect to Iona, I think the question or proposal to have Iona work in necessary improvements to the sewer system is a very good idea.

      1. Brookside Flooding
        Don’t forget us neighbors over here on Howard Parkway! We lost a $40,000 rennovated basement in the 2007 nor’easter. We never rebuilt it, but between Irene and the flood this week, we lost our dryer and some construction equipment that was on the basement floor. If the city isn’t going to fix the problem (which it should – immediately), it should give us tax credits so that we could rebuild. How about the city requiring Iona to finance (at least partially) the rennovation of the sewer system as a precondition of acquiring new property? If Iona wants to continue eroding the tax base by buying up property in the neighborhood, let them make a contribution. The only contribution they make now is drunken students yelling & shouting obscenities at all hours of the night, and students throwing beer cans, pizza boxes and McDonald’s refuse on the street.

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