HIGHLANDS – Submitting an application for a grant from FEMA under its BRIC program, Mayor and Council presented a detailed presentation of the plan that would reportedly put an end to the flooding of the borough from the Monmouth Hills area in severe storms.
Overall plans for the intensive program, which includes building retaining wells on Kavookjian Field so runoff could be cycled for a more gradual release of storm waters, were presented at last week’s meeting of the governing body and are available on the borough’s site under the recording of the Oct. 19 meeting.
The resolution, adopted unanimously by the governing body, authorizes supporting a Highlands Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project, and applying for the federal funds to finance a percentage of the overall costs.
Applications are being accepted for the grant, called the 2022 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program (BRIC) through Nov. 18.
According to the resolution, funds would be used to address the chronic flooding with a storm water and green infrastructure plan which is consistent with the county’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Under terms of the grant, Highlands would build storm water and green infrastructure near Snug Harbor, Bay, Central and Waterwitch avenues, Route 36 and Kavookjian Field, in connection with Monmouth Hills Inc. construction of Waterwitch drive. Valley Drive, and Park Way in Middletown. While Kavookjian Field is in Middletown, it belongs to the borough of Highlands. A holding tank would be excavated in Kavookjian Field to retain flood waters for gradual release. Engineers assured the governing body they could be built without eliminating the borough’s sports fields which are active at the site.
Mayor Carolyn Broullon expressed hope and joy at the resolution’s adoption, noting a solution for the flooding in the Waterwitch section of the borough from the Monmouth Hills area has been a long time coming and she is hopeful the grant will now enable the borough and Middletown to work together in reaching a solution.
The borough’s plan includes installation of the infiltration basin, and construction of wetlands, storm water pumping stations, emergency generators to operate the stations, inlets, storm drains, bioretention basis and roadway restorations within the proposed project area.
