Community Corner

Mayor Young Wants to Tackle Flooding Issues

Flooding issues near the Delaware River and Pompeston Creek have been a major township concern.

 

Mayor Ben Young said a goal of his for 2013 is to continue public works’ projects already started, namely tackling the major flooding issues in East Riverton near Kern Street and Zeisner Avenue.

“We’re trying to improve conditions,” said Young, who was appointed as Cinnaminson’s newest mayor at Monday’s reorganization meeting.

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Young and public works’ officials think new sluice gates—slated for installation soon—should help alleviate flooding conditions.

Hundreds of households in the East Riverton section of the township are affected by flooding conditions—and it’s not just during major events like Hurricanes Irene and Sandy; it’s also during normal rainstorms.

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By the end of this month, Young said, state engineers should visit the area to give input.

“I’ve been working solidly with the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), DOT (Department of Transportation) and the Army Corps of Engineers for the last year,” Young said.

Public works is also looking into using some engineering money that’s been set aside for a pumping system, the mayor said.

There are a few other areas around town that experience major flooding—such as the areas of Jefferson and Calhoun streets behind Palmyra Moravian Church, and Cuthbert Road and Fairfax Drive near Extension Park.

“In today’s world,” Young admitted, “those properties would not be occupied.”

What Young means is that years ago, houses were built in certain areas with no regard to flooding problems.

“With the exemption of the Glenview section,” Young said, “the construction that occurred on Fairfax, those properties pre-existed the town really having any formal master plan or understanding of drainage.”

Unfortunately, Young said, there’s no real solution for the area.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t work hard to try to help some of the issues.

“Even the work I’m suggesting we try to do in the Zeisner area—,” he said, “I told people I can’t eliminate flooding but I can try to help alleviate those drainage problems.”

Officials from the Army Corps of Engineers are slated to visit Cinnaminson before the end of this month to clean the Riverside basin.

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