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Residents, investors press New Britain council to fix Allen Street drainage; aldermen say $6M is secured
Summary
Public commenters described chronic flooding and sanitary backups on Allen Street, calling the problem a public‑health and property threat and accusing the mayor of neglect; an alderman said the council has secured about $6 million and is continuing work to fund the remainder of the project.
Residents and property owners urged the New Britain Common Council on May 14 to prioritize a long‑standing Allen Street drainage and sewer project, saying repeated flooding and sanitary backups have harmed neighborhoods and threatened public health.
Frank Chase, who identified himself from 24 Roxbury, told the council the Allen Street corridor has suffered “flooding due to storm sewer failures, sanitary backups, and breaks due to insufficient capacity in the system’s age,” and said contaminants in the flood waters include bacteria, motor oil, grease and other pollutants. Chase accused Mayor Stewart of mismanaging prior allocations and said an updated shovel‑ready plan is still about $8,000,000 short of funding.
Other residents backed Chase’s plea. Margaret Messerschmidt said neighbors continue to wait for action despite years of outreach. Anthony Taylor, a local investor who owns properties on Allen Street, described personal experience with repeated damage and urged that the project be treated as a priority to protect homes and residents.
Council response: Alderman Balon Cebedo acknowledged the comments and said the current council has secured roughly $6,000,000 toward the Allen Street project — “$4,000,000 from the water department and $2,000,000 from a bond” — and said the administration and council are evaluating ways to move the project forward. Council members and other attendees thanked commenters for their advocacy and called for continued engagement.
What’s next: Councilors said they will continue to pursue funding options while staff advances shovel‑ready plans. The Allen Street requests were raised during the public‑participation period and the council did not vote on a specific Allen Street appropriation during the meeting.
Representative quotes: “The Allen Street project is critical to resolving chronic issues including flooding due to storm sewer failures,” Frank Chase said during public comment. Alderman Cebedo said the council “went from having no city funds secured for the project to now standing at $6,000,000 funds for the project in city funding.”
The council did not take a formal vote on an Allen Street appropriation at the May 14 meeting; public commenters were encouraged to continue following council discussions and to attend future meetings.
