On the edge

Erosion that threatens to pitch two Heather Lane homes into an adjacent stream was not caused by nearby flood control work, in the opinion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

That area’s erosion would have occurred even if a flood wall and pumping station – built as part of the Green Brook Flood Risk Management Project – had never been constructed, the agency claims.

Four municipal officials heard that frustrating assessment and attempted to counter it during a Zoom meeting with federal officials held on Thursday, Oct. 12.

The borough and affected homeowners contend the wall and pumping station have affected stream flow and caused the erosion issues.

The bottom line: Any meaningful corrective action by the Army Corps would require Congressional authorization and funding. That won’t be happening any time soon due to ongoing political turmoil in the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, one Heather Lane home has sat uninhabitable for 19 months and a neighbor fears his could be next.

Mayor John Madden, Borough Administrator Michael LaPlace, Borough Councilman Robert Dessino and Department of Public Works Superintendent Len Vidal tried various arguments but were unsuccessful in getting a commitment for action from Paul Tumminello, an Army Corps project manager.

Vidal shared several photos of erosion occurring near flood wall sections and the threatened Heather Lane properties. “You can’t tell me this is not from your project,” Vidal told Tumminello.

Tumminello and an Army Corps engineer, however, asserted a major factor in the erosion is a bend in the stream, that stems flow beneath the two threatened Heather Lane homes.

Borough officials, in turn, questioned why the stream was not realigned as part of the flood control project. Tumminello said that for environmental reasons, the Corps typically refrains from changing river characteristics.

He added that the project was geared towards flood control. “We’re not there to address erosion by itself,” Tumminello said.

Dessino noted that during meetings prior to the wall construction, the Army Corps told residents the project would not affect their properties. They were not told there would be serious erosion, he said.

Madden questioned why a flood control project would not have an erosion control component. Otherwise, he said, there could be substantial downstream flooding.

“We don’t need any more explanations of reports and data, we need assistance,” LaPlace told Tumminello.

In the short term, the borough is taking the matter of fortifying the two Heather Lane properties into its own hands. The Borough Council approved $25,000 worth of funding on Oct. 10 for temporary measures to address stream bank erosion near the parcels. That does not head off the need for more permanent steps. Vidal said the municipality may seek state grants.

Madden has drawn attention to the precarious situation by getting television news crews to visit the affected stream and homes in recent weeks. That media exposure, however, has not yet nudged upper levels of government into finding a permanent fix.

During the Zoom session, borough officials noted they have had a series of unproductive meetings with federal officials about the threatened homes.

Dessino said the meetings have tended to be more about what the Army Corps cannot do about the situation.

“What would you do if it were your house?” he asked Tumminello.

“I would not be happy,” Tumminello replied. “I completely understand the frustration here.”