Editor’s Note: This story was featured in The Berkeley Times – before this weekend’s nor’easter caused flooding around the Jersey Shore – including in Berkeley Township.
BERKELEY – Shore residents are seeing their roads flood with increasing frequency, but the cost to fix this problem is extremely high.
At a recent Township Council meeting two residents came out to plead to the governing body for help. The area in question is Balsam Drive, which later becomes Island Drive. This is a finger of land that points into the Barnegat Bay from East Bayview Avenue.
Michael Hettesheimer, Island Drive, said he’s been before the council a number of times and the flooding hasn’t changed.
“The only thing that’s been done correctly is that I pay my taxes on time,” he said. He pays $40,000 a year in taxes for a road that floods frequently and he’s not getting any help from his elected officials after attending several meetings. There’s been times his wife has to walk through the neighbor’s property to get to the front door.
Debbie Stackpole, Balsam Drive, also said there have been a number of meetings she’s attended.
“There are 11 homes on the street, all with children and grandchildren,” she said.
Councilman James Byrnes said that there was a road raising project at one point, and Stackpole said there was no change.
This fix was about eight or nine years ago, when it was raised several inches, Township Engineer John LeCompte said. He explained that if they raise the road, they would also widen the drainage pipe. It could easily be a $50 million fix that would only benefit 11 homes.
Township Attorney Lauren Staiger said that all development near the water has to go through a permitting process before the State Department Of Environmental Protection. This process is lengthy and costly.
Township Planner James Oris agreed about the challenges of dealing with the DEP. Increasing water levels and flooding are impacting all shore towns.
“The climate is changing. Every town is dealing with how to deal with climate change,” he said, noting that the lagoon he lives on is higher now than when he moved in.
The residents are worried that when there is an emergency, a police vehicle or ambulance can’t get to them.
Police Chief Kevin Santucci, who attends most council meetings, said that the department has a high water vehicle that could get to them, and fire trucks can navigate the road as well.
Stackpole said that the high water vehicle is not on patrol and wouldn’t get there as fast in an emergency.
After the residents of the flooded areas left, another resident, Bill McGrath, spoke. He is a member of the volunteer Waterways Advisory Commission. They had recently provided an extensive document of all flood-prone areas in town. Officials are using this evidence to apply for federal funding for a large project that could help the entire town.
One concern that officials have voiced often when speaking of flooding is that if you raise a road, the water still has to go somewhere. Although roads look flat, the middle is actually a high point, so that water runs to the side. If a road is raised, then driveways and garages get flooded.
McGrath suggested that Berkeley change their ordinances so that new construction would have a minimum floor height for garages.
He noted that some of the properties on Island Drive have their garage lower than the road.
