AOT-FEMA buyout impasse continues over Londonderry wall

By Bruce Frauman
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Emergency Management Director Kevin Beattie told the Londonderry Select Board that his repeated requests for information from Eckman Engineering about the status of correspondence between Eckman and the Agency of Transportation on the “training wall” on the West River had not yielded results.

But, he said at the Monday, Aug. 1 meeting, Eckman did respond to a letter from Town Attorney Robert Fisher.

Back on Feb. 2, 2016, Eckman had presented the board with a report of its hydrologic and hydraulic study of the West River to help break an impasse between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Vermont AOT.

Years ago, the AOT had required that a training wall be built to protect Route 11 — at its intersection with Route 100 — and the Veterans Memorial Bridge crossing the West River from possible flood damage.

That wall was built on property owned by Walter and Betty Genser, who also operated a clothing store on the site. The building was heavily damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, and the Gensers and the town were working toward a buyout.

Following Irene, FEMA ruled that the wall must be removed if a proposed buy-out of the property using federal and state funds was to proceed.

In his letter to the town attorney, David Eckman recounted the answers he gave to two questions posed by the AOT in response to his February report. Citing differences of opinion in Londonderry regarding the value of both the training wall and the Williams Dam, “Eckman Engineering’s recommendation … is to not remove the training wall unless the dam is lowered, dam is removed or the bridge hydraulic opening is increased.”

The report says that the West River flows through the support structure of the bridge, which can restrict its flow in high water events. It is possible that the state could redesign the bridge to allow greater water volume to flow through. Removing the dam or lowering its height would also allow more water to pass through easing the chance of flooding.

Beattie, who has been working on FEMA buyout for the town, told the board, “I suppose it makes sense at this point to get a response from AOT. They might put the whole project to bed, or they might not.”

If AOT decided it could live with out the wall, then the Select Board would need to  commit to the project. “I feel like we’ve strung along the Gensers for five years now, and I think we should string them along not much longer,” Beattie said.

Prouty said he was ready to make a decision, but the rest of the board chose to wait to hear back from the AOT before making any decisions regarding the training wall and the Williams Dam.

Beattie also told the board he is ready to write a request for bids for two generators that would be used in emergencies. “If we want them this season, the next step is to put them out to bid,” Beattie said.

FEMA has approved the town’s request for a grant to buy and install two electric generators – one would be placed at the Flood Brook Union School to help the facility qualify as an emergency shelter and the other would go to the Twitchell Building so it could be used as an emergency headquarters.

Beattie is also working with the Red Cross to have the school certified as a shelter. To help pay for a portion of the generators not covered by the grants, Thompson said she has reached agreements with the other towns sending children to the Flood Brook School.