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10-Foot Yonkers Flood Wall Concerns Bronxville Mayor

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – A proposal to build a 10-foot flood wall around an east Yonkers cooperative has Bronxville officials worried that it will cause flooding in the village.  

Ladovik Tinaj, assistant superintendent of the Yonkers complex, stands next to the flood barrier residents want to increase to 9.4-feet.

Ladovik Tinaj, assistant superintendent of the Yonkers complex, stands next to the flood barrier residents want to increase to 9.4-feet.

Photo Credit: Matt Bultman

At the December meeting of the Yonkers Zoning Board of Appeals a representative from the Brooklands cooperative complex at 1000 Palmer Road proposed construction of a 9.4-foot flood wall system and flood gates for flood control.

Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin said the proposed wall is a concern to Bronxville residents and institutions.

"Because many Bronxville residents have also experienced bad flooding during major storms, we are sympathetic to their hardships," said Marvin. "However, we are concerned that the building of the high wall will deflect flood water from their property into Bronxville property. We are going to have to examine the situation and if necessary voice our concerns with the project."

Residents in the complex said they’re willing to pay anywhere from $750,000 to $2 million to build up the roughly 4-foot state-owned flood barricade along the Sprain Brook Parkway.

The current wall didn't stop the 135-unit complex from flooding during major storms in 2007 and 2011. In 2007, Brooklands suffered $4.6 million in damages, and the owners of 26 ground level co-ops were forced to leave their homes. In 2011, Hurricane Irene flooded the property and caused $3.3 million in damages.

Because the wall’s proposed height exceeds the maximum permitted height of retaining walls and fences in a yard bordering a street, it needs to be granted a variance before construction can begin.

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