To: Allen St. Flooding Victims, Concerned Citizens, City and State Officials.
When Mayor Stewart took office in the fall of 2013, she noted the following; “The Allen St. Project is our most pressing need. The Allen St. Project is critical to resolving chronic issues including flooding due to storm-sewer failures, sanitary back-ups and breaks due to insufficient capacity and the system’s age”.
Stewart has also identified storm-sewer cross connections on Allen St. further contributing to this public health crisis. The contaminants in the flooding water include a toxic mix of bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc.
Stewart chose not to prioritize and fund the Allen St. Project. Stewart chose to ignore the 2013, $7M semi-final engineering plan. The updated 2025 final engineering plan has a price tag of approximately $15M.
10 years later, August 2023, Weston-Simpson Engineers declared, “The Allen St. Project must be a high priority because the infrastructure is at crisis levels”. The cause and effect: The storm-sewer experts use the term “I&I”. I&I describes what happens when stormwater (inflow) and groundwater (infiltration) enter a wastewater system. This water, which ideally should drain into the ground or be routed to storm drains, can easily overload compromised wastewater systems, causing sewage overflows to streams and rivers, backups in basements, localized flooding, groundwater ponding and impaired water pollution control operations, etc.
Mayor Stewart noted in September 2023 regarding the Allen St. Flooding Problem:
“It’s all about being prepared, being aware that climate change is definitely real and this is the impact it’s going to have on us for years and decades to come”.
The Allen St. victims are aware of the flooding, sanitary back-ups and breaks in their neighborhoods. We submit that Mayor Stewart has not properly prepared our neighborhoods for this ongoing public health crisis. It’s called “Infrastructure Resiliency Planning”.
Over the years, Mayor Stewart has failed to plan for the required storm-sewer upgrades and has failed to protect the Allen St. neighborhoods effected by the Allen St. Problem. Meanwhile, our quality of life continues to suffer, our safety continues to be in harm’s way and our properties and structures are at risk.
The Allen St. Storm-Sewer System serves 177 acres of developed, congested, residential neighborhoods. Intense rainfall infiltrates our compromised underground infrastructure, flooding and saturating our land, overwhelming our storm-sewer system and retention pond. Our particular section of this acreage (approximately 50 properties) receives the brunt of the contaminated flooding water.
The Mattabasett Water Pollution Control Facility in Cromwell which serves New Britain and 6 other towns, is impaired by the excessive storm water and ground water entering and flowing from the compromised Allen St. waste water system. During these storm-sewer flooding events, we are treating this excessive water entering our regional Mattabassett Waste Water Facility adding to our costs.
There have been10 floods since July 4, 2023 and many more floods prior to this date. The Mattabasett Facility has been overwhelmed at times during these flooding events, pumping untreated waste water into the CT River adding to this public health crisis.
Along with the thousands of extra water treatment dollars that our taxpayers have paid out over the years, we must factor in the thousands of dollars spent to repair the antiquated Allen St. storm-sewer pipe failures, the expensive updates to our aging Allen St. engineering plans and the reimbursements to our flooding victims for their damage claims. And of course, we must factor in the millions of dollars needed to construct the Allen St. Project in todays dollars vs. 2013 dollars.
In total, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent and millions more are needed to upgrade the Allen St. System per the required specifications. Much of this could have been avoided with the aforementioned “Infrastructure Resiliency Planning” by Mayor Stewart back in 2013.
We must remember the Mayor’s repetitive chant, “We have no money for the Allen St. Project”. Over the years, the Mayor has blamed our state legislators for their lack of action. The numbers tell a different story. As we have shown you, millions of dollars have flowed to New Britain from our state and federal partners which were used for other higher profile projects.
The mayor has set her own agenda ignoring and neglecting her constituents in Ward 4, allowing the Allen St. neighborhoods to flood with contaminated water, consequently impairing the Mattabassett Facility which serves New Britain and 6 other towns.
We, along with the other taxpayers in our neighborhood, have diligently paid our taxes for decades. We are demanding our fair share of money from our Federal-State-City governments to fund our most pressing need, the Allen St. Project.
The city has the funding sources to complete the Allen St. Project. Thus far, city officials have failed to obtain new funding from these sources and have prioritized available funds for other higher profile projects such as the Bee Hive Bridge, Stanley Events Pavilion, Public Works Operations Center, Downtown Luxury Housing and many others.
Obviously, our skepticism, cynicism and suspicions are justified based on Mayor Stewart’s failed efforts to prioritize and fund the Allen St. Project. Yes, Stewart has been disingenuous with all of us in Ward 4.
Stewart chose to kick the Allen St. Project down the road allowing the system to deteriorate further. Neglect and mismanagement carried the day for 12 years (2013-2025). Stewart still has realistic opportunities to redeem herself before her term ends. The question remains, Will She?
State Representative DeFronzo and State Senator Lopes has recommended to Stewart the new January 21, 2025 DEEP Grant Program: “Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities”. The details are noted for you in DeFronzo’s and Lope’s letter to Stewart (See attachment, below) and on-line at the DEEP web site. The application for this Grant Program is due March 3, 2025. DEEP notifies applicants by March 14, 2025. Cardinal Engineering’s bid ready-shovel ready plan is due April 1, 2025.
Sharon and I wrote to Mayor Stewart on January 26, 2025 (See attachments, below) urging her to complete the DEEP Application asap and to submit the DEEP Application asap. We asked her to update us with her intentions. We asked for updates regarding her administration’s efforts to procure emergency city bonding for the Allen St. Project and for the status of the Cardinal Engineering Plan due April 1, 2025.
The Mayor has NOT responded to us regarding our requests! Transparency is not a strength of this Mayor and her administration. Silence and concealment are the preferred operating methods.
Recently, Mayor Stewart told us that good leaders do not waffle… They say what they are going to do and they do it. Erin went on to say, “I’m that same type of leader”. We ask, REALLY?
50+ properties continue to flood in the Allen St. neighborhoods on Mayor Stewart’s watch because she has failed to prioritize and fund the Allen St. Project. It’s called WAFFLING! Storm-sewer failures continue. The flooding continues. Sanitary back-ups and breaks continue.
This insanity must end now!
Once again, we ask all of our flooding victims and concerned citizens to contact the Mayor, your alderpersons and your state legislators urging them to help us Prioritize, Plan, Fund and Construct the Allen St. Project for the benefit of all New Britain taxpayers.
Thank you.
F&S Chase
Allen St. Basin Flooding Photos:
Stanley-Roxbury-Newbury Typical Retention Pond Flooding.
Hampton-Eton Typical Flooding.
Newbury Typical Flooding.
24 Roxbury Typical Flooding.
