Dr. Daryl Styner and her husband have lived in Westport for over 42 years. She was a professor in a doctoral program in dentistry before retiring. She writes:
After the September 13 deluge, concerns have been heightened for residents who live near new builds all over town.
Demolished homes are being replaced with much larger structures. Many are at maximum coverage on lots both small and large.
Neighbors who up to now have not had water problems now incur significant water run-off from these new structures. In many neighborhoods (like mine in the Long Lots area),we are paying for expensive “fixes,” because builders and town engineers under-estimate the drainage needs for these new builds.
With changes in our weather patterns, and the volume of water hitting our area, maybe it is time for building officials to re-think the formulas used to determine how much drainage and what kind of land grading is needed to adequately redirect water run-off, and what types of drainage systems are being used.
Long after the rain ended.
In 2017, an original 1950’s house on Long Lots Road was demolished and replaced with a new home, whose structure is easily 3-4 times the size of its predecessor.
The front to back pitch/slope of the property is significant, and an underground stream runs in this area between this house and the neighboring property on Long Lots Road.
During and very shortly after construction was finished, there were indications to both the house below (at the back of the property), and to the adjacent neighbor that water run-off was an issue, especially after any significant rain.
The adjacent neighbor eventually needed rubber boots to walk on the property. It became increasingly unusable for children to be able to play because of the “new” grading redirecting water run-off to their backyard.
Long after rain stops, water remains.
They got no accountability from the town, nor the builder, or the homeowners who purchased this new build. These neighbors had to lay out significant dollars to remedy this problem with additional drainage, regrading and plantings, just to get back the use of their own backyard.
The other house below them, a new build in 2004-5, had major beefed-up drainage systems built-in to this structure, but has eventually seen increasingly overwhelming water run-off into their driveway after big rains.
A building site near Daryl Styner’s home. The weight of the contents are pushing against a barrier that is not supposed to cross onto her property. In a big rain, mud will course onto her land and driveway, washing out all the aeration, topsoiling and reseeding they’ve done.
Significant water pools at the back end like a lake, which during heavy rain then overflows through mature Norway spruce trees into the driveway of the house below them, and sometimes overwhelming the storm drain as well.
This same torrent of water spills onto our property, flowing like a river through an entire line of mature Norway spruces.
My new neighbors (here a little over a year), are in the process of working with contractors on additional drainage solutions.
Many others have experienced this themselves, are now going through it, or know friends in nearby neighborhoods who have all experienced it as well. The consensus is that they all feel that existing owners — taxpayers — are not being protected at all.
Debris from runoff clogs storm drains.
Our town officials should have an equal responsibility to protect the adjacent properties of every new building project that comes before them. For many residents, that’s just not happening.
Drainage system plans for new builds need to be scrutinized more closely, beefed up, and closely monitored. Regrading on properties need to be scrutinized more closely and monitored.
Many builders (not all) cut corners for their bottom line. There has to be more accountability. Owners and families are being forced to pay dearly for the aftermath of their projects.
This should not be happening. This is not right.
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What a shame that our town doesn’t address this problem. Additionally, the town doesn’t account for newer, higher construction destroying their neighbors’ views. Many have been totally wiped out of sun and for others, water views.
This opinion piece makes obvious ‘common sense’ but, as all Westport homeowners know, the town has only given cursory attention to the problem. The reason is simple. The main driving force for town govt. is keeping their Grand List as high as possible. A few years ago I visited Town Hall to voice my concern to the person(s) in the conservation dept. I was handed a pamphlet re: the Sasco Creek Management Area, and advised to read it. That was all they did. Next Step, we had to bring in an engineer, dig a gravity well, and install sump pumps. Overflow was managed to some extent, until last week’s rain event, when our pump system was overwhelmed from all the rainfall.
I definitely agree and want to be added as a concerned and affected individual. The flood last weekend affected a large number of people but, like Daryl, this is a problem that has been affecting me for over 10 years. It has reportedly never been an issue until houses were torn down and built in the neighborhood behind mine 20 years ago, a problem that is getting worse. i know my parents, on the other end of town, have the same issue. The water all successfully drains away from my house but when that large drain gets overwhelmed, like it did last weekend affected, the water has nowhere to go and backs up into my basement. i feel i have little recourse because i live on a private road with the drain in my driveway. However keeping up my end of the drain is not enough when run off has worsened over the decades from not only my street, but other neighborhoods as well.
This happened to us as well. Three neighbors rebuilt within the last 15 years. Each time, flooding has gotten worse. There is wetland on the back of my property which has now started expanding. When I’ve had conservation, wetland and building departments out to see, they said nothing they can do. Combined with the town’s ambivalence toward addressing culverts that are too small and/or filed with sediment, and underpowered pumps, every big rain event becomes a flood.
This falls under the purview of town engineers, conservation and flood and erosion commissions on which I was a member but felt they weren’t doing enough. I’m glad you’re speaking up but sad that your properties have flooding issues.