4 Hemenway Ave. -William Rose
William Rose, 4 Hemenway Ave.: I am presenting this evening 2 photographs of the berm that is in the road and the fill of the swale. We would like to find out what progress has been made and what can be done to alleviate that situation.
Bob: We have had 2 commissioners, I believe, that have been up there to review it. I have been up there to look at the berm which is directing the water down street towards the two drains at the end of the street, which will then go from the drain going in to the wetlands between Lots 3 and 4 of the Hemenway Court area. I guess that was the original intention, but both drains are filled with gravel at this point and they have to be cleaned out and there is also the question that the city was going to be doing something with the street. That's where it stands. The building department and inspectorial services have not gotten back to me concerning the permit that was needed to put this berm out in the middle of the street or out along the street, and the engineering dept. hasn't come back with that also.
Bill: A couple of things - on the thought that the existing storm drain beyond my home was installed to accommodate that flow coming down from Ireson Court is not accurate. If you will look at the topo, you will see that the water won't flow that way when everything is done unless the street is completely redone, and a number of other items have to happen also. The other thing is the berm is not at the edge of the way, it is in fact 12 or 13 ft. into the way.
Bob: Because of the term "private way", the actual demarcation of the property lines is sort of in a gray area, and that is what I am trying to get confirmed with the engineering department, just where the exact "curve" should be on the property with the maps that the engineering department created.
Bill: These photographs may assist you. We had a surveyor in Monday.
Bob: What map was he working off?
Bill: We hired him to shoot that side of Hemenway Ave. You can see one of the markers is the ledge of Hemenway Ave. The other marker that you see that is painted white is the phone company proposing to relocate the telephone pole that is blocking in effect my driveway, over to that location, and they measured that in agreement with the engineering department, so that would be marked approximately where the edge of the sidewalk would be. It said the phone company worked that issue out with the engineering department.
Bob: That is why I am trying to get confirmed with the engineering dept., just where that curb is at this point.
Bill: Joe Lynch is involved with that and the phone company. As you can see, the berm is still forward of that, even that marker.
Bob: What is the distance from the white marker?
Bill: 4 ft.
Bob: Right now I have to wait for the engineering department and inspectorial services to respond to us to confirm was there any permit restrictions or permits needed, and if the berm is not in the correct area according to the engineering plans.
Bill: Our concern is, and will be, the fact that now what is happening with that berm there, the water is taking a path that it has never taken before and it is ending up in my wife's garden and flooding the garden. Every time it rains, all the water that comes down that street now ends up in her garden, the diamond shape garden that is between the pool and the brook. It is a natural low point and it now goes right there.
Gayle Rose: The road also was constructed so that it tips all towards our property. The swale that no longer exists was filled a couple of years ago, and now because of the berm, turns down Hemenway Ave. It all tilts to the left onto my lawn and through my garden because of the filling of the swale a couple of years and because of that newly constructed berm.
Bob: I have been asked by Mr. Petrella to come up to review it during a storm. I was up there during the hurricane that occurred about a month ago, and the water that comes off the hill breaks to the left, and before the berm the water was just coming down and part of it going down on his property and a lot of it ending up in his driveway, it was like a small lake in his driveway.
Adele Dantona: Yes, and that is because the swale was built a couple of years ago.
Bob: The water actually split as it came off the hill. A good portion of it was heading south and the other was headed into the westerly direction.
Bill: Originally, the water never split. 100% of it used to just go down into that area.
Adele: At #3 Hemenway Ave., when that hole was constructed, that driveway never flooded until that fill was brought in.
Bill: Regarding your point on the improvements of the street. There is nothing in the works for street betterments as of yesterday when I checked here at City Hall. There is a request for a betterment which was initiated by my wife in August and that has been on hold and it remains on hold to this moment. The only possibility of anyone talking about it may be on 22nd when the alderman and the sub-committee on highways meet and the secretary said that is the only possible time, and it would take an alderman to pull it out to do that, and I have yet to hear from an alderman that has said that was what the plan is. There is nothing on the agenda at all for betterments for that road. As a matter of fact I was told by an alderman there is no money for betterments in that area, and he also commented that there is no way it could happen within the next year based on fiscal situation, which to me means they are relying on possibly the following fiscal year's budget, which nobody knows about right now. As far as I am concerned, there is no plan for betterment to Hemenway Ave., nor is there any possibility of that in the near future, so what we are trying to do right now is whatever we have to do to make it straight and correct for people that live there, ourselves included.
Bob: All I can say at this time, I will be talking to the DPW or the engineering dept. to clarify what is going on and the aspect of the berm. Again, private way comes up, but if it is a hazard to traffic it can be removed with no problems at all. We will be talking with Mr. Petrella concerning the swale also, but again I have to wait for inspectorial services and the engineering dept. to respond back in order to do anything at this time.
Bill: The other issue I had, is it possible that I get a copy of the minutes of October 21 meeting.
Bob: Yes, I will get that for you tonight.
