Update: Mill Street Lofts

At the April meeting of the Planning Board, consulting engineer Chris Bertram told Andy Learn, the engineer for the developer, "You need to prove to us and prove to me that that amount of water is not going to negatively impact the downstream neighbors on Mill Street."

Learn responded to Bertram's request by submitting a flood analysis on May 2, but at the Planning Board meeting on May 13, Bertram said there had not been sufficient time to review what had been submitted. On Friday, May 15, however, the review of the flood analysis by the Barton & Loguidice was sent to the Planning Board. Interestingly, the letter did not come from Chris Bertram, the Barton & Loguidice engineer who works with the Planning Board, but from another B&L engineer, William Buckman. The letter reports these findings:

• The CPL report adequately demonstrates that the project will not increase downstream flood risk.
• Modeling and grading plans support the conclusion that the development will not worsen flooding on Mill or North 2nd Streets.
• Regulatory requirements have been met, including those for floodplain compensation and stormwater controls.
• The Empire State Trail may serve as an acceptable emergency route, though B&L also recommends formal confirmation.

The letter concludes:

Based on CPL's flood analysis and B&L's independent review, we find the applicant has sufficiently demonstrated that the Mill Street Lofts project, as proposed, will not result in adverse flood impacts to downstream properties. The stormwater design complies with regulatory requirements, incorporates floodplain mitigation, and provides resilient infrastructure for site access and runoff conveyance,

We recommend the Planning Board consider these findings in deliberations regarding the site plan application.

The entire letter can be found here.