Mount Vernon calls for halt to Bronxville drainage project, fearing flooding down the hill

The growing feud between Bronxville and Mount Vernon spilled out late Friday afternoon at the corner of Homesdale and Sturgis, where freshly painted blue and yellow markings on Bronxville streets indicated that work was about to commence on the village's long-awaited drainage project.

Bronxville homeowners on Homesdale, who feared the $8 million project could inundate their neighborhood, had arrived at 4:30 p.m. with maps and questions for Village Administrator Jim Palmer. He’d promised to bring the village’s consulting engineer to explain how the excavation and installation of new drainage pipes would impact their basements.

Meanwhile, Mount Vernon homeowners from the flood-prone Hunts Woods neighborhood, just downhill from Homesdale, had learned of Palmer’s planned arrival from their Bronxville neighbors.

Several of them decided to crash the curbside meeting to hear first-hand what they could expect.

More: Mount Vernon stands up to Bronxville and issues violation to Bronxville Field Club

It was the latest clash between Mount Vernon, the city of 73,000 with New York’s highest concentration of Black residents, and neighboring Bronxville, the predominantly white village of 6,500 that’s home to some of the metropolitan region’s wealthiest families.

The fight over Bronxville’s drainage project comes on the heels of Mount Vernon’s recent enforcement of its city code, which has stalled the Bronxville Field Club’s expansion of its premier private racquet sports venue in the city. A key issue is the club’s unpermitted connection to the city’s stormwater system, which overflows during heavy rains and floods the Hunts Woods neighborhood in Mount Vernon.

'It's going to be an ongoing battle'

But before the curbside meeting could begin, Palmer drove up, without the village’s consulting engineer in tow.

Palmer told those gathered that he'd just received notice from Mount Vernon Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard. She demanded that the village cease any work on the project until the village provides information about its impact on the city’s undersized stormwater system. The drainage project would connect to the stormwater system by the municipal border.

Faced with Mount Vernon’s demand, Bronxville caved. Palmer told the growing crowd that the meeting was canceled. The project was officially on hold.

“We just received information from a neighboring community,” said Palmer. “It’s only appropriate to respect that.”

While the Bronxville residents dispersed to their nearby homes, and Palmer drove back to his office, the Mount Vernon residents lingered.

Then Mount Vernon Public Works Commissioner Damani Bush arrived on Homesdale, bearing Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard’s letter, which he planned to hand-deliver to Palmer.

“There was a lot of information that we requested that we have not received,” Bush said. “Now we are taking action. It’s a legal matter, just to make sure that the residents of Mount Vernon are covered. Of course, it’s going to be an ongoing battle.”

Conflicts over Bronxville's communication

Bush noted that Mount Vernon is currently under a federal consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of New York over its outdated sewer and stormwater sewer system. He said he contacted the state and federal governments about the Bronxville drainage issue.

Longtime Mount Vernon resident Leslie Alpert, who lives on Central Parkway, which is downhill from Homesdale, applauded the city's timely action. On her way across the city line, she'd seen the blue arrows with the "Mt. V" insignia recently painted on Homesdale that pointed downhill to her street.

"Those arrows pointing downhill weren't about sleigh riding or skiing," Alpert said. "It was for water heading our way. Bronxville didn't respect us. They did not communicate."

Palmer, in an email Saturday to Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin, wrote that the village had cooperated with the city in recent weeks, providing responses to pointed questions from the city's consulting engineer, Kevin Hogan, of Arcadis, an international design firm.

"We also provided multiple responses to requests for information from Mount Vernon and never heard back to our request if they needed anything further," wrote Palmer.

Marvin said that Bronxville stands ready to cooperate with Mount Vernon on the project. Palmer said it could well mean making modifications to its current plan.

Marvin took issue with contentions that Bronxville has not communicated with Mount Vernon.

"I will forward you just a sampling of emails that we sent to the professionals in Mount Vernon of which went unanswered," Marvin said in an email. "That being said, we are ready and willing to sit down, share everything we have and further continue the harmonious relationship we have with our next-door neighbors."

Added Marvin: "I have such admiration and respect for my fellow mayor in Mount Vernon as well as all of its citizens."

Mount Vernon council president: 'We're forced to take a stand'

Providing backup for Bush in Bronxville were several Mount Vernon officials: Deputy Public Works Commissioner Robert Hackett, City Engineer Curtis Woods, and City Council President Cathlin Gleason.

Gleason said Mount Vernon is looking for cooperation from Bronxville, not to pick a fight.

“Whenever there is work in a neighboring community, they notify the neighboring community,” said Gleason. “Bronxville has made a habit of not doing that. We can’t allow them to do work that abuts our community without having them show us the plans. We’re forced to take a stand.”

More: Posh Bronxville club keeps growing while Mount Vernon neighbors see floods

She recalled the construction of Bronxville High School's baseball field during he mid-2010s at Westchester County’s Scout Field, which is located in Mount Vernon. The field, built with donations from Bronxville families when the county park was overseen by the town of Eastchester, had been off-limits to Mount Vernon until county legislators stepped in.

“It’s not fair,” said Gleason. “Mount Vernon has been taken advantage of many times. The mayor is adamant that we are not going to allow this to infiltrate our community. It’s not Mount Vernon against Bronxville. It’s a matter of both communities coming together to discuss this major project.”

Project designed to halt flooding in Bronxville

The Bronxville project that's now on hold was designed to alleviate flooding among the high-priced homes on Hamilton and Sussex avenues, just north of Pondfield Avenue. A new stormwater pipe would run over to Homesdale and connect downhill to the Mount Vernon stormwater system at Locust Lane — across the street from the Bronxville Field Club.

Fearing that Mount Vernon's stormwater system might not be able to handle all the water, Bronxville's plan features a device that would shut off the water flow during heavy rain storms to prevent what was called "excessive flooding" down the hill in Mount Vernon.

The village's engineer, Arshad Jalil, told Bronxville residents in November that the system had an overflow chamber, which when full would allow the excess water to flow elsewhere.

"The flood will be confined to the streets," he said.

And those streets are located in both Bronxville and Mount Vernon.

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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mount Vernon NY calls for halt to Bronxville drainage project