Four Westwood homeowners awarded federal money to elevate homes and combat flooding

Four homeowners in Westwood will be able to start work on physically elevating their homes to combat flooding after the borough was awarded federal grant money.

Town officials applied earlier this year for a $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to raise the four structures, which are in low-lying areas. The homes are located on Harding, Fitzgerald and Benson avenues.

These streets are often the hardest hit during frequent flooding that has plagued the borough in the last few years. Flooding has become commonplace not only during major storms but also during smaller rain events.

The borough found out Monday that it is the administrative sub-recipient of the $1 million grant. Now the funding is secure, homeowners can hire contractors and fund the work, which is reimbursed to the homeowners, said Mayor Raymond Arroyo. The elevation work must be performed by March 6, 2027, said Arroyo.

“I’m happy for the residents who applied for the home elevation grants and were approved,” said Arroyo. “Severe repetitive flood loss is truly traumatic for these folks. I appreciate them for wanting to stay in Westwood, in their homes.”

Elevation of homes can take place in different ways; in some cases, the structure is physically lifted while a new foundation is placed underneath; in others, a basement or the first story of the home is filled in. The method used for the four Westwood homes would depend on the property's foundation, design, the original construction method and structural soundness, said Arroyo in January.

As long as homeowners do not exceed the parameters of the grant, temporary housing would also be covered while repairs are being done.

Flooding studies

This isn’t the only method borough officials have taken to combat flooding issues.  Since last year, the borough is working with neighboring towns and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken to work on two studies. One will look at flood-control tools used by other reservoir systems across the country; the second is employing a drone to find clogged waterways that exacerbate local flooding.

The drone study is anticipated to finish in late spring, said Arroyo. The staff involved with flying the drones and writing the report are trying to schedule flights for Rivervale and Hillsdale, although leaves are obscuring the visibility of some waterways, said Arroyo.

Arroyo thanked Westwood Clerk Karen Hughes, Borough Administrator Durene Ayer and Councilmembers Erin Collins and Cheryl Hodges for their work giving information to residents about the borough’s ongoing flood situation. Hughes researched the grant applications and gave advice to those who applied, said Arroyo.

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NJ bill on reservoirs

In addition to Westwood's efforts, State Sen. Holly Schepisi, a Bergen Republican, has a bipartisan bill pending in the state Senate, co-sponsored by Paramus Democrat Joseph Lagana, that would authorize local emergency management offices to order the reservoir to be lowered in response to bad weather. Westwood borders the Veolia-managed Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, which local officials have said contributes to flooding when water levels are not lowered in advance of storms.

There is a companion bill in the Assembly sponsored by Republicans Robert Auth and DeAnne C. DeFuccio and Democrat Chris Tully, which was introduced and referred to the Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee in January.

Debra Vial, Veolia's communications director, said in January that the company supports the studies being done by Westwood officials to help residents since "for too long, overdevelopment and debris in streams and rivers has led to flooding during heavy storms."

But its reservoirs were not built for flood control and “the state does not allow levels to be lowered in advance of storms because the mission is to ensure there is enough drinking water for the region,” she added. Veolia, which also runs the Oradell Reservoir, continues to operate in accordance with all state regulations and requirements, Vial said in January.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ homeowners given federal funds to combat flooding