Addressing Highlands Flooding Issues
Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and Borough Administrator Michael Muscillo filed reports to keep the public informed of the significant progress in its mission to address longstanding Highlands flooding issues through the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project.
“This represents a pivotal step forward in enhancing resilience and safety for residents and businesses and has recently been awarded with multi-million-dollar grant funding,” Broullon said in a press release issued by the borough of Highlands.
“Learning from the past, painstakingly accruing documentation, cooperating with a neighboring community, and maintaining a fierce determination to solve a 127-year-old problem has finally led to success. Since 1896, when the first home was built in Monmouth Hills, the Borough of Highlands has been negatively affected by stormwater runoff issues,” Broullon continued.
The Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project is a strategic initiative aimed at tackling recurring flooding problems that impact NJ Route 36, an emergency evacuation route, and the Borough’s downtown Bay Ave area serving the local community.
The project focuses on implementing innovative stormwater management solutions and green infrastructure to bolster the community’s ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather events. By strengthening evacuation routes and mitigating flooding challenges, Highlands aims to safeguard not only its own population but also neighboring towns, explained Muscillo..
Numerous Grant applications have been submitted to various State and Federal programs to support this endeavor. In a letter received by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) last month, FEMA notified the state office that the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project has been identified for further review under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Fiscal Year 2022 Grant Program. That is an indication that the $12,193,960 grant requested is probable following potential requests for information by FEMA, Muscillo said..
“Over the past three years, Highlands and Monmouth Hills have worked collaboratively with the team at Colliers Engineering & Design to successfully be awarded the FEMA BRIC grant combining flood mitigation and green infrastructure,” added Broullon, expressing her gratitude. “This grant, which totals over $12 million dollars, is the largest award Highlands has ever been given.”
“We are very grateful to NJOEM and FEMA for their award contribution helping to protect the residents and communities of Highlands and Monmouth Hills,” said Ted Wilkinson, PE, CME, the project’s manager from Colliers Engineering & Design. “We look forward to working alongside our partners in creating a safer, flood-resistant environment with sustainable, green designs.”
The Borough remains committed to addressing the Highlands Flooding challenges head-on and will continue to work tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to make the Highlands & Monmouth Hills Flood Mitigation and Green Infrastructure Project a reality.
