DOT fixes street so it floods

The old saying goes, “when it rains, it pours.” But in Glendale the new saying is, “when it drizzles, it floods.”
Such is the lament of Betty and John Iwanciw, Glendale residents for 40 years. In 2007, the Department of Transportation (DOT) did some major resurfacing on the street in front of their house, leveling the street with the sidewalk. Now whenever it rains even a little bit, the city street turns into a city pool.
“Even if someone down the block washes their car, it still floods,” said John Iwanciw, a senior citizen and U.S. Veteran of the Vietnam War. “The street slants to my side – when it rains, you can’t even get out of the house without stepping in two inches of water.”
In the time since the DOT did the work four years ago, the Iwanciw’s basement has flooded and a tree in front of the house died. John also said that the sidewalk becomes completely impassable whenever it rains.
The Iwanciws contacted, either in person or by mail, nearly every conceivable city politician and agency to try to get this situation alleviated. The only help they’ve received came from Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, who, according to John, has sent a letter to different city agencies on their behalf for two years.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told the Iwanciws that it was planning on installing a catch basin, which would help to stop any flooding. The problem, according to John, is that the DEP told him that two years ago.
“It’s a whole lot of waiting, waiting, waiting,” he said. “These agencies, they look and they say they are going to fix it, but they don’t do anything.”
A spokesperson for the DEP said that the street in question is part of a “multi-location capital improvement project that started one month ago.”
“We are working towards that spot, it is just a matter of installing,” said Mercedes Padilla, spokesperson for the DEP. “We are building it and in the process of working toward that particular spot.”
Until then, John said that anyone walking through the area during a rainstorm better be wearing boots.
“Either jump over it or get your shoes wet,” he said. “That’s the only choice you have.”
The DOT did not return The Queens Courier’s requests for comment.