Although they've lived in their house on Maple Drive in Boardman almost 40-years, this is only the second time June and Anthony Belfast have experienced flooding here -- blaming recent housing developments around them for the problem. Anthony says the developments "routed all the water to this point here."
At one point, the water was two feet deep in their garage and basement -- forcing the couple to spend the day cleaning and dis-infecting everything. They say a clogged culvert forced the runoff into their yard. Across town, Carol Klingel was using fans to dry-up what her shop-vac couldn't remove after the rains flooded her backyard reaching the tops of these sandbags. This is the fifth or sixth time her Squirrel Hill neighborhood was hit -- knowing when the water starts rising she has to put everything in her basement up on blocks. She complains, "nothing ever gets done for this area -- northing!"
Local developers agree something needs to be done to address the persistent flooding problems -- but they add it'll take money to put a system in place. Mahoning Valley Home Builders Association president Andy Profanchik says, while taxes won't be popular, "I think their properties and the value of their homes is far more important than taxes."
Administrators in Boardman and two adjacent communities say the storm water problem is greater than simply one flooded neighborhood -- it needs to be tackled regionally.
We're told officials are putting together a local "storm water management district" between Boardman, Canfield and Austintown Townships.
The utility would assess a flat-rate fee for home owners and businesses to cover the costs of building new storm control systems -- as well as maintaining and repairing sewers and culverts -- to keep scenes like this from last night from happening as frequently.
Boardman Twp. Administrator Jason Loree hopes the new storm water utility can be operating by next spring -- adding once the system's in place it could be expanded to include other local communities.
He says the fee for homeowners could be as little as a dollar fifty to three-dollars a month.
While the Balfasts say someone should be held responsible for their flooding problems -- Carol Klingel wants to know why the township isn't doing more to control the flooding in her neighborhood.
She says the Squirrell Hill area was one of a number of projects targeted for funding through the President's neighborhood stabilization program. She claims money was supposedly earmarked to build a storm water retention pond - wondering now where the money is -- and what's taking so long to get the problem fixed.
