Past, present and future projects outlined in talks concerning area flooding

Darl Kolar, a consultant with E.A. Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. presents future stormwater management projects in Berlin to the Town Council during a meeting Monday evening.

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Oct. 31, 2019) Mitigating flooding in Berlin has come with a hefty price tag, with $2.273 million spent so far on stormwater management projects, according to Darl Kolar, a consultant with E.A. Engineering, Science and Technology Inc.

“We’ve made a ton of progress. We’ve got a ways to go. I don’t know what else to say,” Kolar said at the Monday night meeting of the mayor and Town Council.

Six projects were completed throughout town from 2014-2018 to address water quality and water qual- ity, according to Kolar. He added that four other projects are still in the de- sign phases, but are estimated to cost around $3.7 million.

That’s nearly $6 million before the work is complete. Kolar stressed the importance of finding federal and state grants to help pay for these projects.

Kolar said that the Town of Berlin has revamped its stormwater priorities in recent years, and has completed several projects.

• in April 2014, a culvert was replaced with natural stones and boul- ders on West Street. It cost $134,000 with 25 percent of funds coming from the town and 75 percent from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.

• In November 2016, a Flower Street offline wetland was created along Hudson Branch to provide water quality and flood mitigation. It cost $399,000 and was paid for via a community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• In March 2017, a culvert on Flower Street was replaced with two elliptical pipes and two box culverts. A community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development covered the $330,000 project.

• In July 2017, crews completed the replacement of a storm drain on West Street by inserting a larger plastic pipe in place of the existing metal pipe. The project cost $426,000 and was covered by the town.

“This project was considered an emergency stormwater project with significant road failure,” Kolar said in his presentation.

• In October 2017, the William Street offline wetland and culvert replacement projects were completed. Kolar said that a wetland was created along Hudson Branch to help with runoff. Workers also installed larger concrete pipes to replace two metal elliptical pipes. The projects cost $354,000, with $41,000 coming from the town, $188,000 coming from the state’s department of natural resources and $125,000 coming from the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency.

• In July 2018, phase I of stormwater improvement projects on Cedar Avenue, Maple Drive and Pine Street were completed. The state’s department of natural resources covered the $455,000 project.

“This project is phase I of the needed stormwater improvement in the area from William Street, to the intersection of Graham Avenue, and Nelson Street,” Kolar said in his presentation. “It was divided into two phases to utilize available grant funding.”

Officials are now tackling the submerged gravel wetland project at a town-owned property on Graham Avenue. Kolar said construction is ex- pected to finish by the end of December.

The town is covering $45,000 of the project’s costs, with Chesapeake Bay Trust contributing $175,000, and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program will give $55,000 through additional funding from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.

As for future projects, Kolar outlined four areas of interest:

• Phase II of the Franklin Avenue, Nelson and Pine streets, which would connect the submerged gravel wetland on Graham Avenue to phase I of stormwater improvements on Cedar Avenue, Maple Drive and Pine Street. The design status is 95 percent complete, and is estimated to cost approximately $850,000.

•West Street and Abbey Lane’s “existing stormwater piping” is “significantly undersized,” according to Kolar. He added that it could cost about $1.8 million to fix, and Kolar is working on the design concept to find additional grant funding.

“This street is certainly in a dire need,” Kolar said. “That intersection is just [a] deluge of water.”

• Installing new stormwater piping to account for correct elevations and sizes in Henrys Mill and Henrys Green. Kolar said it’s still in the design concept and the project is estimated to cost about $450,000.

• Improving downstream channels to the existing sanitary sewer lines along Hudson Branch and Bay Street. Kolar said it’s important to “prevent the submergence of sanitary piping.” The project is also still in the design phase, and it’s estimated to cost approximately $600,000.

When referencing the flooding issues near West Street, several residents, including Shane Warren, expressed their frustrations.

Warren complained about an overgrown ditch behind his home near the railroad tracks that run parallel to West Street.

He pressed town officials about why it hadn’t been cleared, and said he took the issue to his representative, Councilman Zack Tyndall.

“If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what we would have done,” Warren said.

Tyndall said he worked with then-Town Administrator Laura Allen to address the issue and found that exposed ditch was shallower than expected. He added the ditch had some debris.

Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said the ditch was on the schedule for cleaning.

Mayor Gee Williams empathized with Warren’s concerns, and suggested people call Water Resources Director Jamey Latchum the next time a major rain occurs to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Williams also underscored the importance of mitigating flooding and stormwater management in Berlin.

“We have some catching up to do, but we’re committed to doing it,” Williams said.