HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 Mar 31 - Cape Cod Times Article - "Waterlogged"■■r
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S - -7- a, Y-1rus,ano.oasements.
By PATRICK CASSIDY
pcassidy@capgcodonline.com`
SOUTH YARMOUTH -When;
his basement:
« Certainly in my wildest dreams
was high enough to, Stall trucks,'
float kayaks and attract ducks.
'
ST 1TE Q MERG, ENCY
;Richard Coiro bought his home
on Captain Besse Road a year and
I neve} thought the water would get
as deep as it is,"he said yesterday
Coir&s house on the of
Huge puddles and'soaked=;base;
menu are nothing new forarea
,...
Art ¢
•.
'. a half ago, he knew his basement
•might get a little damp from time
corner,
Captain Stanley and Captain Besse
roads; is at, the heart of an':
homeowners; but' therecord,
; breaking precipitation of the past
.
j to time. It's Cape Cod after all.
And even though the home's pre-
area
where passing cars'make waves.
` that threaten to erode front yards
;two weeks has overwhelmed' even
seasoned residents who hay' been
dealing
..
Pious owners had installed asub-
floor and two Pumps, there weren't
and the sound of u
Pumps vacuum-
with the, ebb and"flowf
o
flooding and the town's attempts to
w
any obvious signs of the lake that
would, eventually fill the road in
,ing out waterlogged basements fill
the spring air.
address it for the past'40 years.
Although the problem is no sur-
Sur -
°
front of his property and seep into
Overa hundred -yard stretch near
Coiro's home he water this week
see FLO WN% page 12
k
N
Firefighter Bflan POI CHARLES KRUPA/ASSO" Ii D'PRESS
9 andrescues Phyllis Rego from
'her.floodedEast
capecodonline ' PHOTO GALLERY` VIDEO
Providence neighborhood. Much
. CO Go to the online version.of this story Watch a wet and wild CapeCast episode showing flooding
to see photos of this week's
ofsouthern'New England was'flooded yesterday: .
g after fecord rants hit the region, forcing jivers and
storm. around the Cape.'www.capecodonline.com/cdpecasis
,;
lakes abovetheir banks: New_England /A8
Flooding: Problem deepens
from All
F'.
eowners say the current inunda-
truthfu y, a sal , a mg t a
anyone buying a home should
tion is the worst in 20 years.
their Captain Besse:Roa ome.:
fi
"Its been bad before; three
get themselves a good Realtor;:
times that particularly stand
-40 YEARS
lout," said David Rich, who
N'
owns the property next door to
DOWN THE DRAIN
Coiro at 71 Captain Besse Road.
�s
"None were even a close second
—
1970s: Davenport Realty Trust
to this one."
answer, to a ;particular qIu,
Rich and Coiro have added
of South Yarmouth builds the
their voices to the chorus of
are.re''uired tor�sa so.`and .
q Y... ,
homeowners who want the
original houses near the subdivi-
town to take action.
hould not lie he said If the' "Let's~�iave a cont . en lan.""
Y 'P
FLOATING SOLUTIONS
lion's Station Ave. entrance.
Over the years, Yarmouth
officials have studied the prob-
Feb. 1971: Nearly 50 residents of
lem 'extensively, most recently
in a 2003 - townwide report
Captain's Village protest against
that looked at flooding prob-
lems from high: groundwater.
flooded streets, cellars and sep—
Authored by the Plymouth -
based Norfolk, Ram Group, the
tic tanks. Complaint: the town
study found what many people
already knew: the water table
fire department has refused to
on Captain Besse Road is> sim-
ply too close to, the surface,
pump out cellars unless autho-
causing major flooding when-
ever the ground absorbs all the .
rized by selectmen.
water it can.
The report recommended a
'
series of possible fixes for the
13 areas of town where similar
ments, driveways and yards for '
problems exist. For the develop-
ment known as Captain's Village
five weeks plagues homes. on
West, where Captain Besse Road
Heavy rains over the past two weeks have Captain Besse
is located, suggestions included
town or residents of the area, but proposed solutions in th
demolishing four homes and
'
buying fouri undeveloped lots
' private way- means the town to alleviate flooding in ti
to create space where the water
does not have the authority to In 1988 a task force fou:
could be better absorbed. The
do major repairs, Allaire said. pumping the water out
study also recommended build-
For :the town to take full was the only solution. Tl
ing facilities to pump excess
responsibility for .the road Department of Environ
floodwaterto other areas.
requires a petition signed by 60 Protection, however, ni)
The cost: $1.9 million.
percent of the road'sresidents, notion.
When betterments were sug-
he said. There are 34 homes on Improvements on
gested as a means to pay for the
Captain Besse Road, accord- streets in Captain's Villa]
project, homeowners balked,
_ ing to town assessor's records..- been much simpler, s.
said Yarmouth Department of
Coiro and his neighbors: say raising a small portion
Public Works director George.
they are still seeking advice on tain Small Road, Allai
Allaire.
what their options are, includ- Homes on Captain Sma
"People didn't want to pay
ing the petition drive to have were already further alh
that much money,"he said, add-
the town take over the road. water table than the ho;
ing;that an`exact figure for the
In the short term, the,town Captain Besse Road, he
betterments was never deter-.
,has placed traffic barrels in the
mined.
'area to warn motorists of the 'PUMPS ON TOP Of PU
',Othem includingselectmen
deep water. Town officials have "I'm just . dealing w
;
at the time; were against'forc-
also, removed 36,000 gallons of said Paul Risser, whosi
ing`homeowners to sell their
'water with pump trucks. But, sits across from Coiro'�
property, he said.The towndoes
- everyone, including Allaire,; middle of a growing
not have, the money to buy the
believe those efforts ar� futile., Given the chance, Riss
homes without town meeting
Many of the ;ideas floated he would sell his home.
approval in any case, he said.
recently have. been heard In his basement four
In addition, to the ,financial
before.Yarniouth town meeting run, 24+ hours a' day td
lzurdI69 th6lroad.'s status as a in
1984 rejected a drainage plan incoming water.
' confrontthe same problems, he
June 1987:150'residents of Cap-
11 d h d h
truthfu y, a sal , a mg t a
anyone buying a home should
m rat a u� my ac pot e .
So, does Coiro, who questions
their Captain Besse:Roa ome.:
fi
1,
n^the
get themselves a good Realtor;:
whether the town has examined
-40 YEARS
porid,
who ;will` guide, them in asking
every .alternative to reduce the
DOWN THE DRAIN
;r said
�s
flooding.,
u I lust want the town to be
—
1970s: Davenport Realty Trust
pumps ,
answer, to a ;particular qIu,
b, ehindus and control the water
of South Yarmouth builds the
rht the ;tion
are.re''uired tor�sa so.`and .
q Y... ,
-table . a little bit 'Coiro said:.
original houses near the subdivi-
" F,
hould not lie he said If the' "Let's~�iave a cont . en lan.""
Y 'P
lion's Station Ave. entrance.
.F.
Feb. 1971: Nearly 50 residents of
Captain's Village protest against
flooded streets, cellars and sep—
tic tanks. Complaint: the town
fire department has refused to
pump out cellars unless autho-
rized by selectmen.
Spring 1983: The flooding of base=
ments, driveways and yards for '
five weeks plagues homes. on
Captain Besse Road. -Residents
start a' petition asking this_ town
to solve the problem.
STEVE HEASLIP/CAPECODTIMES
Spring 1984: Flooding returns to
id -looking more like a small pond. The
problem is not a new one for the
Captain's Village after heavy
ast, have
failed #o get needed financial backing.
rains. A drainage study sub-
committee recommends to
rea.
"I have pumps on top ,of
do; a buyer could have standing
Yarmouth selectmen .that a pipe
that
pumps,"he said, adding that one
for legal action, he said.
network and leaching system be
sea
pump hag, burned out and that
Allaire said he fully expected-
.installed to ease flooding.
tate
he expected; to get whacked
the intense emotions to recede
1985; Voters approve $60,000
ntal
with mold" after `the water
with the water- levels. Hom-
for a study that would develop a
the
recedes.
But when Risser, or anyone
eowners would likely sell their
properties when .the ground
drainage solution and $90,000
her
else in the: :neighborhood sells
had dried and after an 10
for preliminary; design of the
Lave
their, home, their real estate
years new homeowners would
proposed drainage system.,
I as
agent is not required by state
' confrontthe same problems, he
June 1987:150'residents of Cap-
;ap=
regulations to divulge the flood-
.
said.tain's
better-
Village reject a "better -
aid.
aid.
ing problem - unless specifi-
In retrospect, Allaire said, the
. ,.
merits" taxa
bad
tally asked about it according
town should never have allowed
1988: The town's Captain's Vil-
the
to Eric Berman, a spokesman
homes to be built in, certain
lage Task Force seeks solutions
3 on
1.
: for the Massachusetts Associa-
tion of Realtors.
areas.
"I'm sympathetic with them
to the flooding.
..
"Really the seller . hasto
and I'wish I had an answer but
Oct.1996: Rai n-driv&.`iloodwa-
5` .
answerthe buyer's question
1 don't,"he'said. "I wish I had a
ter forces the Zahn family from
"
"h AA. t
1 li k k t"
iLu it,.
zhome ''
truthfu y, a sal , a mg t a
anyone buying a home should
m rat a u� my ac pot e .
So, does Coiro, who questions
their Captain Besse:Roa ome.:
fi
1,
n^the
get themselves a good Realtor;:
whether the town has examined
A rill 1998: Heavy rains cause k
p a
porid,
who ;will` guide, them in asking
every .alternative to reduce the
woes for South Yarmouth home
owners. Residents consider filing
;r said
the right questions.
v .;
Sellers who do not,knowahe
flooding.,
u I lust want the town to be
a class-action suit against those.
9,,
pumps ,
answer, to a ;particular qIu,
b, ehindus and control the water
who sold them the homes.
rht the ;tion
are.re''uired tor�sa so.`and .
q Y... ,
-table . a little bit 'Coiro said:.
Source: Cape Cod Times archives
" F,
hould not lie he said If the' "Let's~�iave a cont . en lan.""
Y 'P