State grant funding sought to reshape stormwater systems around Wolf Pit Pond
Town officials will seek state grant funding to reshape stormwater systems surrounding Wolf Pit Pond in Mattituck.
“That whole area has been an issue for a while,” Councilwoman Jill Doherty said during a work session meeting Tuesday. “[Government liaison Denis Noncarrow] has been keeping his eyes open for money, because that’s been the issue. It’s a large project.”
Town engineer Michael Collins presented a schematic for the $50,000 plan that would see additional catch basins installed, pipes replaced, a fenced-in recharge area and a new asphalt ramp to allow highway department crews to access the system for maintenance.
He said the current system is made up of “a series of collection conduits and pipes,” that carry stormwater underground. “Over time, some of the upstream elements were abandoned … all of that stormwater with all the sediment comes directly at one small grate and overwhelms it,” Mr. Collins said. “It tends to get clogged easily. All of that water bypasses the system and goes straight to the outfall pipes directly into Wolf Pit.”
According to Mr. Collins, the town highway department cleaned the system earlier this year, which helped ease problems, but additional catch basins downstream will help collect water not previously captured.
The new system would not include an outfall into the pond, he said.
“I think this will probably take something close to the 100-year rainfall when we’re done,” Mr. Collins said.
Town Board members gave the nod to Mr. Noncarrow to seek funding through state Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo’s (R-New Suffolk) office under the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York program, which funds municipal projects.
Ms. Doherty noted that the DASNY program does not require an input of funds from the town.
“This sounds like a good, engineered solution,” Councilman Bill Ruland said, adding that the pond is a community asset.
Should the town be awarded the funding, the board would have to formalize an agreement with the Mattituck Park District since some of the project would encompass their property.
“We’re in favor of it,” Doris McGreevy, co-chair of the Mattituck Park District, told the board Tuesday. “It’s a first step to the overall refurbishing of the lake.”
Mr. Noncarrow said the grant application must be submitted by the end of this month; it could be awarded as early as spring 2020.
Photo caption: Wolf Pit Pond in Mattituck. (Credit: Tara Smith)
