Fighting Flooding in Cranford with “All of the Above”
By Brian Andrews, Mayor, Cranford Township
Cranford has made significant progress since Tropical Storm Ida, and I, along with Commissioner Paul A. Gallo, know there’s more work to do.
Over the past two years, our Township Committee has advanced our comprehensive “All of the Above” flood control strategy to address one of the greatest challenges facing our town. We are simultaneously moving forward on regional and upriver solutions, while advancing a broad range of local projects, to ensure our community is prepared for future storms. With our area facing more frequent and heavier storms, we know Cranford has no time to waste.
Here are a few projects we are actively advancing to get ready for the next storm:
Rebuilding the Levee for the First Time in Decades: Erosion and past floods eroded the dike along Riverside Drive. We’ve rebuilt the embankment to its approved highest elevation.
Capital Investments: We’ve purchased two new and improved mobile pumps to replace existing 50 year old equipment that is often deployed to Balmiere Parkway.
Local Drainage Improvements: We’re actively installing new stormwater drainage systems to address local flooding, including Edgar/Kensington, the Cranford Avenue area, and the Elm Street, South Union Avenue, Brookside Place, and James Avenue neighborhoods, with additional neighborhoods up next.
Federal Partners for Regional Solutions: We reengaged the US Army Corp of Engineers, who have recently agreed to review several options, including raising the flood walls in Lenape Park by six feet, increasing water retention in the South Mountain Reservation, and channelization (widening, deepening and altering the river flow).
Home Buyouts: The Township is working with Federal Government partners to purchase several flood-prone properties in the Orchard Brook area which will become passive flood absorbing green space.
Home Elevations: The Township received a grant from FEMA for several recent and ongoing home elevation projects. Several elevations are underway, and we are working with FEMA on the next round of fourteen additional homes.
Enhanced River Maintenance: We initiated a large river desnagging operation with support from Union County, removing trees and other debris in the river that create natural dams, which pose risks during storms.
Stormwater Control Projects: In coordination with Union County, we are pursuing NJDEP permits to widen the Orchard Brook culvert to address flooding in the West Holly Street area. Last year, we secured $1.8 million for an express sewer and outfall system in the South and High area to alleviate local flooding.
Stormwater Ordinances/Regulations: The Township not only requires that all projects meet NJDEP stormwater requirements, we now require projects to exceed the State’s stormwater detention requirements for any new development over 300 square feet.
Replanting Trees: Deputy Mayor Terrance Curran is leading an effort to plant 1,000 new trees across the community, as trees play a vital role in absorbing precipitation.
Fighting Overdevelopment: The current court-mandated affordable housing system means the deck is stacked against communities like Cranford. Cranford is a member of a coalition of towns taking legal action to change the system and allow greater flexibility for towns like ours that are already built out and face major flood risks. While that case is pending, we are ensuring Cranford has a plan to meet its current mandates to defend against big developer lawsuits.
There is more to do. Our town will have to upgrade more of our stormwater infrastructure to keep our residents safe and to prevent property damage. When the Republicans were in charge of the Township Committee, they diverted over $700,000 earmarked for infrastructure and flood improvements on the South Side and instead spent it on tax breaks. That decision proved disastrous after Ida.
This week our opponents have proposed sending Cranford taxpayer money to DC lobbyists. Cranford tried that approach in the past, but after Ida and ten years with $200,000 wasted, we and eight other Rahway River towns said enough and shifted resources toward real solutions.
“All of the Above” means focusing on solutions that can make a difference, whether they prevent an inch or a foot of rainwater accumulation. “All of the Above” is also about stopping policies that failed us in the past. And “All of the Above” is about taking action now locally because we can’t afford to wait.
Paul Gallo and I have both experienced flooding in our neighborhoods. We know firsthand how important this issue is to all of us. That’s why we’ve been all about "All of the Above" and will continue that fight with your support on November 7th.
