By Stephen Stirling
For years, residents of the Mitchell−Linden co−ops in Flushing have complained of flooding problems, but now they say the city’s quick fix of the problem has only made things worse.
In December, the city Department of Environmental Protection installed two new catch basins and a storm water pipe along 28th Road near the Whitestone Expressway, which the co−ops overlook. The area has been plagued by flooding because of a lack of adequate storm drains and while a sewer restructuring has been planned, funding problems have kept its implementation on the shelf.
Though the catch basins were welcomed by the 3,000 residents of the 13−apartment building community at the time, over the course of the last two weeks their opinion has soured. Several large sinkholes have opened up along the roadway, each lining the temporary asphalt that the DEP laid down after completing the sewer project late last year.
“We’ve been trying to get the city to do something about this for years. Now they’ve done something and you’ve got to ask is life any better for it?” said John Choe, co−president of the Mitchell Linden Civic Association and chief of staff for City Councilman John Liu (D−Flushing).
Four large sinkholes have opened up since April 25, and other several depressions in the roadway are also visible. Brian Lewis, vice president of the civic association, said the city has fixed two of the sinkholes only to have them collapse again a few days later.
“My big concern is as this road continues to weaken, this pipe underneath is going to collapse and then you’re going to have a much bigger problem,” he said.
The DEP did not return calls for comment.
Flooding has been a major problem for the neighborhood because no storm drainage system was put in place when the apartment buildings were built several decades ago. The area slopes westward toward Flushing Bay, but the Whitestone Expressway, which runs alongside the community, acts as a dam when it rains, causing water to collect along the western edge of the neighborhood.
Mitchell−Linden Civic Association Co−President Arlene Fleischman said even with the new piping, flooding issues have not abated.
“This community has been bypassed for years. This is a Band−Aid solution,” she said. “All you need is to have it collapse and then what? The city is liable.”
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e−mail at sstirling@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 138.
