A Winchester resident told City Council during public comments on Oct. 14 that stormwater construction on Fairmont Avenue is causing property damage, noise and continued flooding.

Charles John (who gave his name as Charles and supplied his address at 523 Fairmont Avenue) described ongoing stormwater construction between North Avenue and Wick Street and said contractors were dumping material in his yard and working as early as 5 a.m. “It's a disaster,” he told council, adding that the work exceeded what he believes is the city's 65‑decibel limit and that the project did not adequately address drainage from nearby National Fruit property. “The drainage from National Fruit still flows into my backyard,” he said. He said the area floods “every time it rains,” affecting accessibility for people with mobility impairments.

Why it matters: The speaker said construction practices are causing property impacts and expressed frustration at not being included in neighborhood design district discussions related to the surrounding rezoning. He urged the city to withdraw conditional use permits granted to nearby properties that he believes have allowed nearby industrial activity.

Council response and context: The public comment was delivered during the meeting’s public comment period; council did not take immediate action on the complaint during the Oct. 14 session. The city has ongoing stormwater projects in the corridor tied to larger redevelopment and rezoning discussions for the area. The resident’s request flagged both construction‑management and drainage concerns that staff may need to address through inspection, code enforcement or project coordination.

What’s next: Council did not take immediate action during the meeting. The resident said he would continue raising objections if the work continued in its current form.