Burnside residents press Cranford leaders for engineering study after repeated flash floods

Residents from Burnside Avenue and adjacent streets urged the Cranford Township Committee on Monday to move from study to action after multiple flash-flood events that homeowners say have caused recurring basement and property damage.

Kevin Harrison, who lives at 20 Burnside Avenue, asked the committee for “a formal engineering study” that examines the Orchard Brook culvert, the small retention basin at Elise and South Avenue, and local drainage systems. “Until we understand the scope of the problem … we cannot move towards solutions,” he said, noting the pilot funds recently discussed and that some potential sources are tied up in litigation.

Multiple neighbors backed his request. Daryl Slater said the brook’s infrastructure is “100 years old” and described repeated, acute flood events in July that left basements and streets inundated. Allie Welch, president of Cranford Newcomers, said her household had four feet of water during Hurricane Ida and that the neighborhood has spent thousands hardening homes yet continues to flood.

Town officials acknowledged the urgency. Mayor Terrence Curran said the township has met with the Army Corps of Engineers, which returned a study presenting five alternatives and concluded none were cost-effective; Curran described that finding as “disappointing” and said the township will continue to press for solutions. Township Administrator Lavona Pattison told the committee the county has committed construction funding for the Orchard Brook culvert design and that buyouts on one street are expected to close by year-end. “We are not stopping,” she said.

Commissioner Andrews and others told residents they would follow up with engineering staff and seek near-term actions such as removing debris and evaluating backflow preventers while pursuing longer-term designs. Commissioner Andrews said the township hopes to use leftover pilot funds where permissible, but that some funds remain tied up.

Residents asked for a timetable and more transparent communication about next steps. The committee scheduled a follow-up workshop and committed to arrange further engagements between residents and the township engineer to develop a clear scope and near-term actions.

What’s next: residents sought a firm timeline for a formal engineering study; township staff said they will schedule follow-ups and evaluate immediate clean-up/maintenance tasks while pursuing design and funding for longer-term work.