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Stormwater project resumes in town

RACHEL RAVINA/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Darl Kolar, an environmental consultant from E.A. Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., shares plans for the submerged gravel wetland project on Graham Avenue in Berlin.

Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Oct. 17, 2019) Construction on the submerged gravel wetland project on Graham Avenue is expected to start next week after a months-long lag, according to town officials.

Darl Kolar, a consultant with E.A. Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., said the project aims to treat stormwater runoff and to reduce runoff pollution.

He added that a submerged gravel wetland “acts like a filtration network.”

It will be built on a property between Graham Avenue and Old Ocean City Boulevard.

Kolar said the contractor, Goody Hill Groundwork, will also “do some pipework along Nelson [Street].”

Water Resources Director Jamey Latchum project will involve 800 tons of stone, 300 tons of pea gravel and 150 cubic yards of composite planting soil within the submerged gravel wetland.

Kolar added that flowers and shrubs would be planted  in the wetland to create an aesthetically pleasing green space.

The town received a $75,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for the project, and “the town committed $40,000 in stormwater funds as a match,” bringing the total budget to $115,000, according to the staff report.

The project was approved in the fiscal year 2020 adopted budget, according to the staff report.

“This is a unique approach where the town is able to dedicate staff. Typically it would be all contracted out,” Kolar said. “This is a really economical approach to try and get this done.”

Latchum and Kolar agree the submerged gravel wetland will work to treat the water.

“We’re maximizing the funding available, and the funding programs that we’re seeking really like to see their funds go towards water quality,” Kolar said. “So that’s why … this project, it’s more of a water quality project than a water quantity project.”

Berlin Mayor Gee Williams praised the efforts of those involved with the project.

“This property will become an area for stormwater to collect from Graham Avenue, and nearby streets, and be filtered before continuing into the Hudson Branch waterway,” said a statement from Williams’ office. “This will help alleviate some of the flooding experienced in that neighborhood during significant rainfalls, as well as contribute to the overall water quality of the Hudson Branch.”

However, Kolar clarified this would help during rain of lesser amounts.

“During sizeable rain events … it’s not going to mitigate the flooding here,” he said.

The project was vetoed during a June Berlin Town Council meeting when bids for the work came in well above what the town had budgeted. The town would have needed to transfer roughly $37,500 from the town’s water utility fund to the stormwater fund. The project was rejected in a 3-1 vote with Councilmen Thom Gulyas, Troy Purnell and Zack Tyndall in the majority.

Councilman Dean Burrell was absent from that June 27 meeting.

Two months later, the Town Council unanimously agreed to proceed with the project after Frank Piorko of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program offered $54,500 via the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

“They [the Maryland Coastal Bays Program] came to the rescue, and worked as a good partner, I feel a good partner, because not only did they take the initiative to do that, that was on their own recourse,” said Acting Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood. “We didn’t solicit them. So that tells you that they’re real in what they believe in.”

When asked about resident feedback, Kolar said while people have been mostly receptive, he did acknowledge residents’ concerns during the June meeting.

“I can sense the residents asking more questions about where their dollars are going,” Kolar said.

All agreed that Berlin does have a flooding problem. Kolar said he’s been working with the town for nearly 10 years and has heard accounts from the residents along Nelson Street.

“They’ve endured it way too long,” he said.

The project is expected to finish by Dec. 30, 2019, according to the memorandum of understanding between the Town of Berlin and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

“Flooding has been an issue here for as long as folks can remember, but we want to believe that we’re moving in the right direction,” Fleetwood said. “The goal is obviously to get it so we’re not in a flood prone situation.”

Several officials agreed that finding ways to reduce the flooding throughout Berlin is a multi-step process that requires money.

“I think … we need to find the funding to keep on moving forward,” Latchum said.