What’s Up With Noroton Heights Flooding?

Slow Go For Noroton Flood Control at Baker Park

Darien, CT– Tonight Bob Steeger from Public Works took citizens on a tour of the proposed “offset” site for the Baker Project. It was interesting to see how misunderstood this project is.

The State DEP has demanded an “offset”… the rehabilitation of a wetlands to make up for a small wetlands area at the Baker Park site. The site chosen by the DEP and Public Works Dept. is just to the left of the entrance to Darien High School at the end of Noroton Ave.  If you look at the site you’ll see that there is a small creek – a tributary—and a large berm between the creek and the DHS driveway.

From what Mr. Steeger shared tonight, here’s some interesting facts to keep in mind about this site:

1. The creek channel was dug out about 40 years ago as part of a drainage project. The dirt from the dig was piled up for the berm, no specific purpose just an economy to avoid the cost of carting it away.
2. During this project 40 years ago or so, this land was changed from a wetlands area to a woodland.
3. The creek does not flow to Long Island Sound, but in the opposite direction toward the back of DHS and to Stony Brook.
4. The plan is to take out trees and dig out the berm. It will bring the land down the level of the channel and create an area where water can perk into the soil. There will also be new berms perpendicular, across, the channel. The new berms will slow the flow of water in sever storms.
5. Only trees on the DHS side of the channel will be removed and AFTER the soil is removed new trees and plants will be planted.  All the large trees on the other side will remain and will continue to provide a curtain between homes and the high school. 

There seems to be a lot of grumbling about the removal of trees. I love trees. They are what attracted us to Connecticut. Unlike a sports facility that removed trees and didn’t replant, these trees at DHS will be replaced. Unlike builders clear cut property in Darien, the land will remain in a pervious state without a mega-mansion, driveway, patio and other concrete hard-scape features that prevent water from perking into the soil.   

The thing that speaks the best for both sites of the Baker Field project is the DHS site. Years ago trees were removed and saplings planted. Trees have re-grown.  This is what will happen again. 

There are just some things that are a given in Darien. Our Town government sucks at communicating. The number of disgruntled people at this walk-through stems from poor notice of the project and poor communication of what will be done.

However, putting bad communication aside… this project needs to happen.  Who wants to call Valvala’s, Innovative Invitations, or Sanda’s to tell them they need to climb up on their counters to escape water the next time there’s a heavy storm?  The Town and their engineers say this project will improve flooding and make no area flood more.  We need to prove that 50 years of neglected flood control is behind Darien!