Officials present 2 of 6 projects designed to alleviate flooding

One property owner doesn't believe the project will fix the problem.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Six projects selected as priorities to curb flooding in the township won't solve all of the problems, but officials say it's a start.
"Once we get these six projects done, we'll look at the other areas," said Larry Wilson, road superintendent, at a meeting Monday just a few hours after heavy rains poured onto the Mahoning Valley. "We have to start somewhere."
Monday's sessions addressed two of the projects slated to begin by early next year.
The session for the Ewing-Brookfield retention project drew about 40 people, and about 30 attended the session on the South Shore Drive/Weir 1 project. Letters were sent to residents whose properties would be affected.
The Ewing-Brookfield project involves making a lake, called Boardman Lake, that sits between Ewing and Brookfield larger and deeper to hold more water.
Gary Diorio of MS Consultants, the township's engineering company, cautioned that the project is designed to lessen problems, but in periods of heavy rainfall in a short period, flooding still may occur.
"This isn't going to 100 percent solve everyone's problems in every rain, but it will help with most of them," Diorio said.
Detention pond planned
The South Shore Drive/Weir 1 project involves widening for about 30 feet to about 60 feet a creek that runs between South Shore and Midgewood Drive and creating a detention pond off of Market Street. It's designed to alleviate flooding downstream including on Glenwood Avenue and Hitchcock Road.
That project includes two designs -- the difference being the size of the detention pond.
The pond should take the flow of water from many of the surrounding businesses and allow it to flow out at a reasonable rate, Diorio said.
Ari Zuckerman, who owns the property where the detention pond is proposed, doesn't believe the project is going to solve the problems. His property, which is zoned commercial, sits on Market between the building that houses Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Cambridge Apartments.
"It's a narrowly focused solution that's not taking into account the problems caused by the county roads and the state roads," Zuckerman said. "It's not going to solve the problems."
He said he believes any solutions should involve the county and the state.
Economic concern
Zuckerman also said he's spoken with a restaurant, which he didn't identify, that is interested in leasing the property. The property was approved for alcohol sales.
"I don't have a problem helping people downstream as long as it doesn't hurt the economic viability of my property," Zuckerman said.
Others who attended the meeting voiced concerns about the safety of children playing near the widened stream or the detention pond. Diorio and Wilson said that fences may be erected around the areas for safety.
The township is likely to request permanent easements from property owners for the projects.
Two more sessions are set for tonight. At 6 p.m., the Tara Drive-Alverne Drive retention project will be discussed, followed by the Ridgefield Avenue-Midwood Circle pipe enlargement project at 7 p.m. Both will be in the township government center on Market Street.
Because the other two projects -- improving retention areas along Westview Drive and behind the Shops at Boardman Park -- don't involve residential property, those projects won't involve individual sessions.