Council Member Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) penned a letter to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) inquiring as to why the stretch of Hylan Boulevard abutting the Mount Loretto Unique Area is still flooding so substantially after millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on capital projects, the express intent of which was to mitigate flooding by installing storm sewers to catch runoff and BMP structural devices to help regulate the flow of water.
The flooding experienced in this area of Hylan Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, has rendered the boulevard nearly inoperable for motorists because of the deluge of water running down both sides of the street and ponding in numerous locations. Borelli suggests that the improvements which have been made after Superstorm Sandy are obviously inadequate; in the letter, he has asked the Commissioners of both DDC and DEP to provide a solution to the chronic flooding problem at this location that they can be held to by the residents of this area in the future.
“It’s unacceptable that after having invested all of this time and capital, this level of flooding is still occurring on Hylan Blvd. It’s frustrating to pour resources into a solution that, frankly, just doesn’t work. I hope the commissioners can come up with an effective solution that’s going to protect this boulevard and give my constituents the absolute bare minimum, which is simply the ability to actually use a public thoroughfare without putting themselves or their families in danger,” said Council Member Borelli.