Businesses hope end of Tanyard flooding near

DRAINING ISSUE: Nick King, vice president of Bristol Marine Holdings, says the company hasn’t pursued development in the Tanyard Brook area because of town drainage ordinances. / PBN PHOTO/NATALJA KENT
DRAINING ISSUE: Nick King, vice president of Bristol Marine Holdings, says the company hasn’t pursued development in the Tanyard Brook area because of town drainage ordinances. / PBN PHOTO/NATALJA KENT

A stormwater-culvert problem that’s dragged on for approximately 20 years, causing drainage trouble for businesses in a long-established neighborhood in Bristol, will finally be resolved thanks to the Tanyard Brook Culvert replacement project.
Diane Williamson, director for community development in Bristol, has seen the flooding problems firsthand. The area is historically susceptible to excessive flooding, including during the heavy rains of March 2010 that soaked the state.
The project will replace the existing stone-lined walls that were covered with concrete planks in the 1960s with a new concrete-box culvert that runs beneath the commercial and industrial businesses in the lower end of Bristol Harbor. In addition to replacing the old culvert, the project also includes environmental remediation of some of its sediment.
On its southern branch, the project also identifies other areas of concerns that need repairing. “That area [includes] a residential neighborhood of low- to moderate-income housing, which enabled us to get some Community Development Block Grant money as well, under disaster funding,” Williamson said. The total length from Garfield Street to the outfall at Walker’s Cove spans about 1,535 feet.
The work is funded by $2.9 million of federal money through the U.S. Economic Development Administration and a $1.1 million Community Development Block grant. Northern Construction Service of Weymouth, Mass., is the contractor and is working with a staff of about 20 people. BETA Engineering of Lincoln will oversee the work.
Williamson expects the construction to be completed by October 2013.
In the northern portion of the repair area, Ten Yard Brook is a large watershed, home to many industrial properties and businesses. Drainage problems have made it difficult for the businesses there to expand or develop. According to Williamson, the project should benefit them in redevelopment plans.
Tanyard Brook has been a source of frustration for many homeowners and businesses that are situated within its watershed. For years, the town attempted to help mitigate the problems, with little success.
“The Tanyard Brook watershed has had flooding issues for many years causing significant property damage to homes and businesses during heavy rainfall,” said Nick King, vice president of Bristol Marine Holdings of 99 Poppasquash Road. Many of the firm’s boats are stored in the area. “The town of Bristol had never had the funds available to fix the problems correctly. The town developed very strict development guidelines for all properties within the Tanyard Brook Watershed. These drainage ordinances required all property owners, who wanted to improve or develop their land, not only to maintain existing runoff but to reduce runoff from the watershed.” The financial responsibility for solving the drainage issues had been placed completely on the property owner, making it financially difficult to develop any properties within the watershed.
Utilities in the project area must be secured before culvert work begins at the brook’s outfall. First to be repaired is the outfall, a major source of the flooding problem, according to the town. When heavy rain occurs during high tides, the seawater rushing into the outfall prevents any runoff from emptying into the harbor. The water is forced to breach the banks of the brook, causing flooding throughout the area.
Bristol Marine Holdings has more than 40 companies, mainly in the marine trades. They had been looking to develop an additional seven acres at Tanyard Brook to provide more space for incoming marine businesses.
“Due to the immense cost of installing on-site drainage, as required by town ordinance, we have not pursued development in this area,” said King. “Once the Tanyard Brook infrastructure improvements are completed I assume the ordinance will be revised.
“These revised drainage requirements for new developments within the Tanyard Brook should mirror those required throughout the rest of Bristol,” he said. “This will give us the ability to develop affordable rental spaces for new businesses. With that understanding, we gave our full support for the town’s application for funding to fix the issues within the Tanyard Brook.”
Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, both Rhode Island Democrats, were among those who worked to obtain the federal funding for the work.
To date, approximately $200 million in federal aid has been committed to Rhode Island because of the 2010 flooding. That includes approximately $15 million through the Economic Development Administration and about $13 million in community-development block grants to help businesses and communities that were hit by the 2010 floods. •

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