Groton City looks for solutions for flood-prone Five Corners neighborhood

Groton — The city is exploring ideas, from trees to drainage improvements, to help mitigate stormwater flooding in the flood-prone Five Corners neighborhood.

The city is collaborating with The Nature Conservancy and has hired engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill to develop an assessment of the stormwater system in the neighborhood.

The initiative stems from the city’s Community Resilience Plan, Cierra Patrick, the city’s economic development specialist, said last week. The plan recommended a hydrological study of the neighborhood to understand “the sources, pathways, and destinations of stormwater runoff” and determine ways to mitigate stormwater flooding.

The plan found the neighborhood was vulnerable to stormwater flooding and to extreme heat due to its dense impervious surfaces and insufficient shading from trees, particularly near Electric Boat and at Five Corners, located at the intersection of Poquonnock Road, Mitchell Street, Benham Road and Chicago Avenue.

The study will cover roughly the area from Fort Griswold down to Shennecossett Road, Patrick said. Patrick said the biggest issue is that stormwater hasn’t been collecting in the storm drains as well as it should.

She said that as the city sees more intense storms and increased flooding — which is projected to continue — it’s important to figure out a better way to design and be prepared for that reality.

The assessment will help the city understand where the pinch points in the stormwater system are, what stormwater infrastructure improvements are needed, and what “green infrastructure,” such as trees, rain gardens and bioswales, should be incorporated to prevent water from entering the system in the first place, Patrick said.

Tree plantings, gardens and bioswales would not only help mitigate flooding, but also cool down the neighborhood and create a more welcoming, walkable community, she said.

There also are plans for landscaping and stormwater improvements at a parklet on the corner of Smith and Allen streets, Patrick said.

Beth Kirmmse, a landscape architect and climate resilience specialist with Fuss & O’Neill, said engineers analyzed data to assess the stormwater system’s capacity relative to future stormwater flow. They will investigate options for improvements, which could range from low-cost improvements, such as changing storm grates, to capacity upgrades, that the city would look for grants to implement.

The team is also looking at solutions, such as tree plantings, that would also improve water quality and bring other benefits, such as enhancing the sense of place and offering shade, as well as creating buffers between pedestrians and cars, or between bicycles and cars.

Patrick said the project leaders are starting to engage with the community and staff to develop solutions to mitigate flooding and are encouraging property owners to get involved.

Several tree planting events have been held, and another is planned for the fall. Project leaders are looking for property owners who are willing to plant trees on their properties within the Five Corners neighborhood.

Upcoming events include:

• A design workshop at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Bill Memorial Library for community members to help identify spots prone to flooding and heat.
• A stakeholder committee meeting (virtual) at 3 p.m. June 17.
• Private property owner meetings (virtual) at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. June 24.

A $361,100 Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant is funding the project, along with funding from The Nature Conservancy and in-kind contributions from the city, for a total project cost of $600,000, said Patrick. The plan is to complete the assessment in December.

People interested in getting involved in the project can email PatrickC@CityofGroton-CT.gov. People interested in planting trees can email anjali.khanna@tnc.org.

More information can be found at https://www.greatergroton.com/publicworkshop. People also can check the city website for upcoming meetings.

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