On September 16 the Rye City Council is expected to accept or decline a $3 million grant awarded to Rye over a year ago for work on much-needed flood mitigation infrastructure projects to protect Rye from the devastation caused by ongoing floods.

By Bernie Althoff and Holly Kennedy

On September 16 the Rye City Council is expected to accept or decline a $3 million grant awarded to Rye over a year ago for work on much-needed flood mitigation infrastructure projects to protect Rye from the devastation caused by ongoing floods.

The grant uses federal funds administered by New York State’s Storm Recovery Program, known as “NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program,” to aid communities severely damaged by floods.

As co-chairs of Rye’s NY Rising Committee, we expect the Council to duly consider the benefits and risks of accepting the grant funding. We strongly recommend that Council accept this grant, because it helps Rye solve a major citywide problem while saving Rye taxpayers money.

Rye is a small city located at the bottom of a watershed subject to repeated flooding, and has not been able to mitigate flooding problems singlehandedly. Having outside financial resources beyond local taxes is essential and provides major relief for Rye property owners. This grant helps Rye tackle major cross-jurisdictional infrastructure issues of enormous magnitude. It also saves City funds by diminishing damages to City infrastructure. This grant and the support provided by the State allow Rye to finally accomplish real mitigation projects; if declined, the City may never have an opportunity like this again.
 Rye is one of 124 communities in New York State awarded storm recovery funding, which also includes state staffing and ex

pertise to expedite four selected infrastructure projects benefiting Rye:

• Recalibrating the Sluice Gate at the Bowman Avenue Dam to increase its effectiveness.

• Creation of a retention pond at SUNY Purchase, on State-owned land, to retain stormwater.

• Improving drainage at Milton Point to reduce flooding from the Milton Point Fire Station down to Milton Harbor House.

• Providing seed money to evaluate the potential excavation of 60 years of accumulated silt behind the Bowman Avenue Dam to regain lost capacity to hold stormwater.

The grant addresses a problem that caused Rye $85 million in damages in April 2007 alone and, since 2004, an estimated $100 million. Finally, Rye has been provided with significant funds, personnel, and outside expertise to tackle major infrastructure projects designed to mitigate the floodwaters that drain the Blind Brook watershed, overflow the Blind Brook that runs through the length of our City, and devastates much in its wake.

Executing these projects goes a long way towards protecting Rye, including the central downtown business district, Locust Avenue Fire House, YMCA, Children’s Room of the Rye Free Reading Room, Milton Point Fire Station, Milton Road to Milton School, Milton Harbor House, Rye Nature Center and Bridge, Central Avenue Bridge, Middle and High school playing fields, parking lots behind the businesses on Purchase Street, Metro-North commuter parking lots, Highland Hall, Wappanocca Avenue, Indian Village, Pine Lane, and the business areas near Rockridge Deli.

These projects are the result of eight months of planning by 11 local citizens who served on the Rye NY Rising Committee in 2014 and 2015 and worked tirelessly alongside consultants, flood mitigation and planning experts, and Rye City staff to identify community objectives, needs, and recommendations. After considerable community input and vetting, these projects were selected, with 21 additional projects in the pipeline if additional monies become available.

This grant builds on the work of Rye’s Flood Advisory Committee, over $1 million spent by various City Councils to improve the dam and secure studies of the watershed, and the foresight of Councils since the mid-1940s to protect Rye from flooding.

 We are once again in hurricane season. Sandy and Irene are in our recent memories, but it was Fritz, in 2004, that rudely reminded Rye that after a 30- year dry spell, Mother Nature reserves the right to change her mind. On Labor Day 2004, Hurricane Fritz hit Rye with a vengeance and Mother Nature keeps bringing storms that bring flooding. Twice in 2007, again in 2011 and 2012, and most recently in spring of 2014, Rye flooded. Sandy knocked out great swaths of Rye for weeks. Blind Brook will continue to drain the watershed from the Westchester County Airport to Milton Harbor. Flooding is not going away.

Rye has been given the opportunity to accept a grant that helps solve a problem that negatively impacts property owners citywide. It is our hope the Council will vote to accept the grant so that these important mitigation projects can get underway.