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Township engineer presents East Brookwood stormwater study; police station renovation faces higher flood-elevation requirement
Summary
Township Engineer Cory Stoner presented a Highlands Council-funded stormwater study for East Brookwood recommending pipe upgrades, rerouting and new basins, and warned that a proposed police station renovation would have to meet a Local Design Flood Elevation about 4 feet higher than the building's estimated first-floor elevation; the township will pursue a feasibility report and introduce a capital ordinance.
Township Engineer Cory Stoner told the Byram Township Council on June 16 that a Highlands Council-funded Stormwater Management Study for the East Brookwood neighborhood recommends pipe-discharge upgrades, rerouting of flows and construction or enlargement of stormwater basins to slow runoff and improve water quality. Stoner said the study is intended to guide future projects and help the township prioritize grant applications.
The study, prepared by Harold E. Pellow & Associates, outlines conceptual solutions including new drainage pipe installations where none exist and rerouting where pipes lack recorded easements. Stoner said the Highlands Council should be notified that the study is complete so the township can pursue funding opportunities.
Stoner also reviewed flood-elevation rules that apply to a planned renovation of the township police station. He said the Inland Flood Protection Rules adopted July 17, 2023, raise regulatory flood depths for fluvial (non-tidal) waters by 3 feet above the FEMA 100-year elevation. Because the police station would be a Class IV critical facility, the Local Design Flood Elevation (LDFE) must include an additional 2 feet of freeboard; that yields an estimated LDFE near 717 feet for the municipal building. Stoner estimated the building's first-floor elevation at roughly 713 feet, about 4 feet lower than the LDFE, meaning the project will need design or mitigation steps to meet the standard.
The council heard that the township lacks survey-grade data for the first-floor elevation and that staff will move forward with a feasibility report to establish exact elevations and options. Council members were told a capital ordinance will be introduced at the next meeting to fund the next phase of work.
The presentation framed both a near-term grant opportunity for stormwater work in East Brookwood and a constraint on redevelopment of the police station: the higher regulatory elevation will affect design, cost and permitting. No formal vote was taken on the projects at the June 16 meeting; the next steps cited were the feasibility study and subsequent ordinance introduction.
