LTTE: Perry Avenue flooding — an unsolved problem distend to get worst

To the editor:“History keeps repeating itself!” More flooding for Reedy Meadow.The newest problem on Perry Avenue is the Town’s reversal of helping its residents to an edict of ceasing all sump pump discharge onto Town land.Long before flooding became a problem, Perry Avenue had six homes near Main Street, according to the 1954 Benjamin Master Plan.

Then expanded slowly towards Robinson’s Brook which it never reached until a subdivision by Clem Ford crossed it ending at a street called “Reservation Road.”Ford’s subdivision added minimal drainage for the developed Perry Avenue ending at Robinson’s Brook. No additional drainage was installed from Robinson’s Brook to the “Reservation Road” (Ford Avenue), and it would just run down the street without an exit — the same conditions exist today.



Robinson’s Brook runs through the center of Town, through the Middle School, under Perry Avenue, and exits into Reedy Meadow. It constantly causes flooding problems in these areas. Today, it still floods the Library basement.

Perry Avenue floods on a regular basis to the extent that canoes were being used to get around the neighborhood. As a resident recalls, “Yes, the big flood was called the No Name Storm. We were running from neighbor to neighbor with every pump we had! We all got $$$ from FEMA.

”The building in 1960 of the High School and football field filled a large amount of the “Wildlife Management Area” land behind the end of Perry Avenue. So, where did all that water go?The Wildlife Management Area soon became one of the Town’s Flood Plain District (FP), which recognized the flooding, thus banning the building of all residential structures. The FP was voted into zoning by 1966 as section 3A as a result of the “Flood Plain Zoning Study” by Charles Downe in December 1964.

The study established that flooding was enhanced by the relatively flat terrain and soil character of land starting at Main Street, through the Railroad, and to the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission (LWSC) Dam by the old Colonial Hotel.In 1974, flooding was still a problem, forcing the Town to conduct a study to solve the problem, known as the “Beaver Brook Drainage Study” by Freeman Towers in February 1974. A major concern at that time was the potential Westover Development, which was predicted to increase runoff of a 10-year storm to the Golf Course by some 30%.

Those same problems were discussed such as the relativity flat terrain, saturated soils and restrictions of culverts at Main St and the Railroad. Unfortunately another failed attempt, have some more water!The flooding at Perry/Ford Ave area is only part of a larger flooding problem. Residents all along Main St on the Reedy Meadow side experienced flooding basements due to groundwater seepage, septic system failures, and flooding yards.

The Town attempted to get some relief in 1992 to restore the Saugus River channel which was stopped by the Department of Environmental Protection, (DEP.) In 1994 attempts were still being made with DEP to revive the project, the Town finally threw up it’s hands and dredged a small area adjacent to the LWSC Dam without DEP permission that later contributed to fine.Other efforts by the Town demonstrates sensitivities about the Reedy Meadow flooding problem, such as allowing Perry Avenue residents to connect their sump pumps to the Town drainage system, but remember that drainage system does not exist past Robinson’s Brook so no help down the street.

A 38 acre parcel was purchased between Partridge Lane and Route 128 to eliminate a large condominium development and again the Reedy Meadow Golf Course was purchased to eliminate another dense development. Even the impacts from the Market Street development were handled such that all environmental issues prevented further flooding with a significant section of Reedy Meadow becoming transferred to the Town.In 2023 the Town acquired approval to dredge Beaverdam Brook and completely remove the culvert at the Railroad which seems to have helped a small amount.

The flooding has become so overwhelming, increases of just a small area exacerbates the entire problem. The Town is about to increase flooding, just an insignificant amount at Perry/Ford Avenue.When and why did the Town’s policy change? Drainage problems should be addressed first to determine if a solution can be engineered, not just increase first and wait to see what happens.

Obviously the adding of past small projects has also made a difference even though these are always noted as insignificant impacts and then permitted. An insignificant amount on Perry Avenue now causes an impact on the whole system of the Reedy Meadow flooding problem.We must stop these “insignificant” changes now! They are not “insignificant” they are major.

Alan DrakeLynnfieldThe post LTTE: Perry Avenue flooding — an unsolved problem distend to get worst appeared first on Itemlive..