Morristown Tackles Stormwater Management

by Amy Kolb Noyes

While in Montpelier legislators are struggling with stormwater
management issues, officials in Morristown have already begun tackling
the problem head-on. Thanks, in large part, to the efforts of Morristown
Conservation Commissioner Jim Pease, the town is in its second year of
implementing a stormwater management plan.
The plan primarily addresses stormwater issues in and around the north
end business district, by the intersection of Routes 15 and 100.
Last year the town addressed erosion problems along and leading to
Wilkins Ravine, where stormwater runoff from the north end is channeled
en route to Lake Lamoille. Erosion stabilization work was accomplished
in the ravine, along with primary efforts to remove a buildup of garbage
in the ravine. A failed Lamoille Valley Rail Road box culvert was
replaced by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. H.A. Manosh Corp.
constructed a swale on the Hannaford property to protect the ravine.
The various projects were paid for between federal and state funds
secured by Pease, cooperation and contributions by north end commercial
landowners and some matching funds put up by the town. While town
officials have publicly praised Pease for bringing the project together,
Pease is quick to praise the commercial property owners and the town for
their willingness to "come to the table," as well as donating money,
land and services for the project.
Pease explained the cooperation of so many players is necessary because,
he said, "We're doing this on a watershed-wide level." He noted the end
result will be good for businesses in the area, keeping parking lots and
roads from flooding and minimizing associated stormwater trash and damage.
While last year's projects focused on the southern end of the Wilkins
Ravine Watershed, this year Pease has targeted the northern section of
the watershed boundary; the area north of Route 15. Three major projects
are planned for this summer, starting with a retention pond that will be
dug next week. The dry pond will be located primarily on the Houle
property and partially on the Demars property on Sunset Drive, behind
Demars' Agricultural Building.
Pease explained the dry basin will fill only during a storm event or
during snowmelt. The object is to collect storm water and give it time
to filter into the ground. "It's just strictly to control the volume,"
said Pease.
Also this summer, Pease said Morrisville Water & Light has agreed to
construct a dry pond on its Trombley Hill Road property. Pease said that
pond will help control the volume of rain and snow melt coming off the hill.
The third project north of Route 15 will be located on the Country Home
Center and Goss Tire properties. That project will consist of a dry
basin, piping and a swirl separator. A swirl separator is a device
designed to filter out trash from stormwater runoff.
"That should help with the flooding of Route 15, to slow the water down
and separate out some trash," Pease explained.
While he referred to water volume and related erosion as the "biggest
problem," Pease warned landowners should also be aware that anything
dumped down the north end storm drains, from mop water to waste oil,
goes into Lake Lamoille.
If all goes as planned this summer, all the tasks in the northern and
southern portions of the Wilkins Ravine watershed should be completed by
the fall. That leaves the middle to be tackled, which includes three
major projects.
"The middle's where we have some problems," Pease noted.
The holdup, said Pease, is finding an occupant for the former Ames
space. Morrisville Plaza owner Murphy Realty has agreed to donate
$30,000 in cash and construction services, as well as sign over a
$20,000 easement to the town for the construction of a pond behind
Banknorth.
Between the Murphy donation and federal Clean Water Act funds secured by
Pease, as swirl basin and infiltration retrofit will be installed on the
Plaza property. More than $40,000 has already been pledged for that
project, but there is a hitch. The project is on hold until Murphy
undertakes a planned redevelopment of the plaza. That redevelopment is
contingent upon finding a lessee for the Ames space.
The next project will be the construction of an "infiltration gallery"
along Brooklyn Street, in front of Menard's Agway and Pete's repair. The
gallery consists of a gravel bed designed to soak up water and allow it
to leach into the ground. It will be located along the road, where a
deep ditch currently exists. Pease noted the gallery will have the added
advantage of being both safer and more attractive than the current ditch.
The infiltration gallery project has been grant funded. Matching funds
and in-kind donations have been pledged by Pete's Repair, Morristown
Water & Light and the town of Morristown. However, that project is also
on hold pending the completion of the plaza redevelopment.
There are two future projects that have yet to be funded. The first is
the placement of a swirl separator at the corner of Brooklyn Street and
Professional Drive. Pease hopes to secure over $100,000 through a 2005
Enhancement Grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation for that
project. Meanwhile, the project is already in its design phase.
Pease will also be applying for $1,000 though the Vermont Youth
Conservation Corps. Pease is hoping VYCC will construct a "rock and
vegetated swale," also known as a rain garden, somewhere along Route
100. The rain garden would serve as an example for home and business
owners looking for an attractive way to collect and channel roof runoff.
If proposed changes to the town's zoning regulations go into affect,
business owners will be required to install some mechanism to control
such runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs and blacktop. Pease
said that can be accomplished by many methods, including dry wells,
gravel drip drains and rain gardens. He added, "and the soils here are
perfect for that."