Craig Fox
Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
(TNS)
Sep. 19—WATERTOWN — A construction project should resolve a flooding issue at the Massey Street Fire Station.
Department of Public Works crews are working on a project in front of the South Massey Street station that should prevent flooding during torrential rainstorms.
The fire station has been prone to flooding when a dirt parking lot across the street floods, the rainwater then crosses the road and comes into the building, Chief Matthew R. Timerman said.
Most recently, about four inches of water ended up in the fire truck bays on the same day when many residential basements flooded after three inches of rain fell within an hour. On occasion, Timerman said his office ends up with water in his office.
“We were lucky it was during the day and staff used pumps get the water inside,” he said, adding it would have been a different story if the two storms happened at night.
The DPW workers are putting down new asphalt in front of the station to prevent the flooding as part of some other long-needed improvements to the building.
They’re replacing — and enlarging — the concrete apron in front of the building for the first time since the building was converted from a city pool building in 1992, Timerman said. The apron needs to be replace because it has cracks in it from the heavy fire trucks sitting on it.
A four-inch berm, or small hill, will be installed across the asphalt driveway to prevent the runoff from getting into the building, the chief said.
The city is using American Rescue Plan Act funding to complete the project.
Superintendent Brian MacCue said the four DPW workers should be completed with the project in a few months.
A small grassy knoll also will be taken out in front of the building and the old fire station sign will be replaced with a new one. The City Council is expected to accept a bid for the sign work at its Oct. 7 meeting.
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