Westwood seeks $1M to elevate homes as Bergen towns try new approaches to flooding

With flooding becoming increasingly frequent in the borough, Westwood is hoping to try a new approach: elevating houses to avoid rising waters.

Town officials have applied for a $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to raise four residential structures in low-lying areas. It's the latest effort being investigated by Westwood and neighboring towns, which are also investing in two studies of potential flood-control measures while pushing for new legislation in Trenton.

Mayor Raymond Arroyo said Westwood’s grant application is being reviewed by FEMA's Flood Control Mitigation Assistance program, which will weigh the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of the proposal before a final decision is made. There is no current timeline for a decision, he said.

The four homes that would be elevated are located on Harding, Fitzgerald and Benson avenues.

How homes would be elevated

Elevation of homes can take place in different ways; in some cases, the structure is physically lifted while a new foundation is placed underneath; in others, a basement or the first story of the home is filled in. The method used for the four Westwood homes would depend on the property's foundation, design, the original construction method and structural soundness, said Arroyo.

As long as homeowners do not exceed the parameters of the grant, the cost of the project will be covered, including an allotment for temporary housing, said Arroyo.

“This is a reimbursement grant, so the homeowners will have to pay the contractors out-of-pocket and submit detailed receipts to FEMA for reimbursement,” he said.

In recent years, flooding has become commonplace in Westwood and neighboring Hillsdale, not only during major storms but also during smaller rain events. The intense Dec. 17-18 rainstorm that flooded towns across North Jersey caused about 4 inches of runoff from the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir which “found its way into several homes and businesses,” said Arroyo.

Bid to regulate Woodcliff Lake meets resistance

The Pascack Valley Mayors Association made a push in 2022 to require Veolia Water, the utility that manages the reservoir, to limit the lake's height to 91 feet, a level that local officials say would leave more room to absorb rainfall from big storms.

The company opposed the idea, saying it would make it harder to maintain adequate drinking water supplies. The plan also failed to win the backing from the state Department of Environmental Protection, which said “reservoirs in Bergen County and their related water supply infrastructure are not designed to mitigate floods."

Saturation Point: Despite more intense storms, these pricey NJ flood projects went nowhere

Legislation stalled

State Sen. Holly Schepisi, a Bergen Republican, has a bipartisan bill pending in the state Senate, co-sponsored by Paramus Democrat Joseph Lagana, that would authorize local emergency management offices to order the reservoir to be lowered in response to bad weather. There is a companion bill in the Assembly sponsored by Republicans Robert Auth and DeAnne C. DeFuccio and Democrat Chris Tully.

Neither bill has moved out of committee, said Arroyo, who expressed frustration with the lack of action.

Debra Vial, Veolia's communications director, said the company supports actions by Westwood officials to help residents since "for too long, overdevelopment and debris in streams and rivers has led to flooding during heavy storms."

But its reservoirs were not built for flood control and “the state does not allow levels to be lowered in advance of storms because the mission is to ensure there is enough drinking water for the region,” she added. Veolia, which also runs the Oradell Reservoir, continues to operate in accordance with all state regulations and requirements, Vial said.

Drone looks for snagged waterways

Looking ahead, the borough is working with neighboring towns and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken to continue two studies announced last year. One will look at flood-control tools used by other reservoir systems across the country; the second is employing a drone to find clogged waterways that exacerbate local flooding.

In December, Boswell Engineering began drone flights to record conditions in both the Pascack and Musquapsink brooks in Westwood, said Arroyo. The mapping will continue into January.

Arroyo anticipates a report from Boswell with recommendations for stream remediation will come in spring.  After River Vale and Hillsdale complete similar studies, the towns will compare notes to figure out a “shared approach to secure grant funding for a larger stream stabilization project,” Arroyo added.

Vial said Veolia has been collaborating with local officials on a drone survey of local watershed areas. It's also "working with local emergency operations to warn of weather conditions and updating communication procedures with communities," she said.

Looking at how other utilities do it

The study of reservoir drainage systems, to be led by Stevens, is set to begin in the first week of February, the mayor said. He was hopeful it will “produce a science-based rationale for modulating water levels in the reservoirs in a way that won’t jeopardize the available water supply while also mitigating flood risk.”

“None of this will be turned around quickly enough for our long-suffering flood zone residents,” said Arroyo. “But it offers a credible path forward.  We may not have all the answers, but at least Westwood has a plan.”

Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: noda@northjersey.com

Twitter: @snoda11

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ seeks $1M to elevate homes amid flooding concerns