Manville taking steps to reduce probability of flood damage
MANVILLE – A year after the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought record-breaking floods, the borough is continuing to take steps to reduce the probability of it happening again.
New Jersey American Water has awarded a $10,000 grant for a reforestation project in the Royce Brook floodplain, the Borough Council is considering an ordinance to update floodplain regulations and the Borough Council is backing a proposed state law to require property sellers and landlords to notify buyers and tenants if the land is at risk of flooding.
The Somerset County Office of Emergency Management received the grant from the utility in partnership with the Rutgers Water Resources Program, Somerset County Office of Planning and Engineering, and Somerset County Parks and Recreation.
Approximately 160 trees and 120 shrubs will be planted by volunteers in the Royce Brook floodplain along Raritan Avenue and Whalen Street directly across from Weston Elementary School. The flooding from Ida resulted in countless trees uprooted and destroyed in that area.
The location was chosen because it connects with the Memorial Park rain garden project that was installed by the Rutgers Water Resources Program in 2020.
The reforestation project joins the Somerset County Recreational Open Space Grant of $250,000 given to Manville in 2021 for upgrades at Lincoln Park in the Lost Valley section of the borough.
A significant portion of that grant was earmarked to remove impervious surfaces to allow for rainwater to be absorbed into the ground rather than run off into local waterways.
"Stormwater doesn’t recognize municipal borders, and we’re so glad to have so many partners on this project and others to address flood mitigation at a regional level,” said Somerset County Commissioner Doug Singleterry, liaison to the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, in a statement. “With the cooperative planning and implementation of this reforestation project Somerset County is continuing its effort at mitigating the increasing threat of flooding in our communities.”
Also see:Mayors, environmentalists to Gov. Phil Murphy: Bolster NJ’s flood regulations
The Borough Council has introduced the updated floodplain ordinance because the current ordinance only regulates development in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's 100-year floodplain map.
Because the flood from Ida exceeded FEMA's flood map by three feet, the new ordinance defines the "true" floodplain, not just the 100-year flood lines, the minimal required by FEMA. The ordinance has been approved by the state's Department of Environmental Protection's Flood Engineering Group.
The Borough Council has also endorsed a state Senate bill introduced that would require prospective property buyers or tenants to be notified of flooding risks before they sign a contract or lease.
The bill would require the state Department of Community Affairs to create a form to tell buyers or tenants if the property is in a flood plain, a Special Flood Hazard Area or a Risk Flood Hazard area or has ever experienced flood damage.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Manville taking steps to reduce probability of flood damage
