Residents report repeated basement and garage flooding; borough secures $500,000 grant for watershed study

Residents told the Glen Ridge Borough Council on the record that their homes and garages have flooded repeatedly in recent years, blaming changes to a local bridge and faster upstream runoff.

"My property's been flooded probably six times," resident Alex Mesia said, describing water that surrounds his house and fills his garage. "All the garbage that flows from the stream comes down my driveway... it really messed up my landscaping." Britney Sella, another long-time resident, said her basement was "completely underwater" after recent storms and that she had to replace appliances.

The comments focused on a short, steep brook that runs through parts of Glen Ridge and into downstream neighborhoods. Residents described heavy debris, collapsing stream banks and a bridge configuration they said increasingly traps logs and other material. Multiple speakers suggested near-term fixes such as moving utilities off the bridge or installing a gate to allow debris to pass.

An official at the meeting announced that the borough obtained about $500,000 in the recent state budget to fund a watershed-scale flood study. The announcement did not identify the speaker by name on the record; the meeting record shows borough staff and the borough administrator later described how the study will proceed.

"We're going to start all the way up in Montclair and work all the way through to the second river," said Mike Z, the borough administrator. "We'll look at the stream bed, where it goes under buildings, and where we can slow, detain or divert water so you don't get these massive surges." Mike said the study will inventory problem areas, identify immediate actions and propose upstream mitigation options and that the Department of Community Affairs has helped make the grant funds available.

Public-works staff described recent local efforts to clear trees and large debris from the brook and to place bagged rock to stabilize a transition from concrete channel to natural stream bed at one problematic location. "We pulled out some baby carriages this last storm... as the water is coming faster and faster, it's eating more and more of that stream bank," said Bill Bartlett, the public works supervisor.

Officials asked residents to submit photos and short video clips to the borough (via the listed borough contact) to document damage; borough staff said collecting residents' photos and measurements will support the grant-funded study and future grant applications. For immediate needs they said they will inspect the bridge and investigate whether a utility line or other obstruction is reducing the bridge opening.

The council did not take formal action on a specific repair at the meeting; officials said the study and further coordination with upstream municipalities will guide any capital projects.

What happens next: borough staff will collect resident-submitted photos and video, begin the scope of work for the watershed study, perform a near-term inspection of the bridge and report back as the study progresses.