One thought on “CWT Comments to NYC DEP Flood Buyout Program – April 14, 2014”
Village of Margaretville
PO Box 228
773 Main Street, Gottfried Building
Margaretville, NY 12455
(845) 586-4418 (845) 586-4211 fax
TDD (800) 662-1220
Carl,
Below please find two (2) concerns of the Village of Margaretville with the Plan for the New York City Flood Buyout Program:
1. The Village of Margaretville feels that the Local Flood Analyses (LFAs), facilitated through DEP Stream Management Program (SMP) are analogous to hydraulic engineering analyses.That being said, the Village believes that any LFAs consisting of hydraulic engineering modeling, plans, specifications, plats and/or reports generated related to the City’s Flood Buyout Program involving the construction, alteration, demolition or removal of buildings or structures, must be stamped, sealed and signed with a professional engineer’s seal. The Village believes that local officials are being asked to make substantial decisions based on the LFAs, and for that reason there should be high degree professional liability associated with the LFAs.
2. The Village of Margaretville feels that projects identified within the Flood Buyout Program (FBO) utilizing LFAs occurring within areas designated by the 1997 MOA, and the expanded designated hamlet areas created as a result of the 2010 Water Supply Permit negotiations, should focus on flood control measures as opposed to flood mitigation measures. Local elected officials within each of their respective municipalities passed resolutions making the hamlet areas and hamlet expansion areas off-limits for any sort of land acquisition by the City. These designated hamlet areas were created as economic epicenters that help maintain the economic viability of the municipality. The Flood mitigation measures proposed by the FBO program seem to revolve solely around floodplain reclamation, which completely negates the entire purpose of the hamlet areas, and further displaces residents and business to accommodate the best interests of the City of New York and not the best interest of the municipalities. Furthermore, we find it a bit disingenuous of the City to create such a program to circumvent the rules associated with the MOA and the Water Supply Permit, to gain a controlling interest in land which has been designated as off-limits for land acquisition.
In conclusion, the Village of Margaretville has no intention of participating in the proposed New York City Flood Buyout Program as prepared April 2014, but the Village is willing to partner with and support retrofitting structures for flood mitigation and protection, flood control projects, and stream bank restorations and stabilization projects using funds allocated by NYCDEP.
Regards,
John W. Van Benschoten
Trustee, Village of Margaretville
Coalition of Watershed Towns 
Village of Margaretville
PO Box 228
773 Main Street, Gottfried Building
Margaretville, NY 12455
(845) 586-4418 (845) 586-4211 fax
TDD (800) 662-1220
Carl,
Below please find two (2) concerns of the Village of Margaretville with the Plan for the New York City Flood Buyout Program:
1. The Village of Margaretville feels that the Local Flood Analyses (LFAs), facilitated through DEP Stream Management Program (SMP) are analogous to hydraulic engineering analyses.That being said, the Village believes that any LFAs consisting of hydraulic engineering modeling, plans, specifications, plats and/or reports generated related to the City’s Flood Buyout Program involving the construction, alteration, demolition or removal of buildings or structures, must be stamped, sealed and signed with a professional engineer’s seal. The Village believes that local officials are being asked to make substantial decisions based on the LFAs, and for that reason there should be high degree professional liability associated with the LFAs.
2. The Village of Margaretville feels that projects identified within the Flood Buyout Program (FBO) utilizing LFAs occurring within areas designated by the 1997 MOA, and the expanded designated hamlet areas created as a result of the 2010 Water Supply Permit negotiations, should focus on flood control measures as opposed to flood mitigation measures. Local elected officials within each of their respective municipalities passed resolutions making the hamlet areas and hamlet expansion areas off-limits for any sort of land acquisition by the City. These designated hamlet areas were created as economic epicenters that help maintain the economic viability of the municipality. The Flood mitigation measures proposed by the FBO program seem to revolve solely around floodplain reclamation, which completely negates the entire purpose of the hamlet areas, and further displaces residents and business to accommodate the best interests of the City of New York and not the best interest of the municipalities. Furthermore, we find it a bit disingenuous of the City to create such a program to circumvent the rules associated with the MOA and the Water Supply Permit, to gain a controlling interest in land which has been designated as off-limits for land acquisition.
In conclusion, the Village of Margaretville has no intention of participating in the proposed New York City Flood Buyout Program as prepared April 2014, but the Village is willing to partner with and support retrofitting structures for flood mitigation and protection, flood control projects, and stream bank restorations and stabilization projects using funds allocated by NYCDEP.
Regards,
John W. Van Benschoten
Trustee, Village of Margaretville
David Budin,
Trustee, Village of Margaretville
Diana Cope
Mayor, Village of Margaretville