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Committee approves $6.3 million stormwater bond for drainage improvements; city will fully fund work
Summary
The Finance Committee approved a $6.3 million stormwater bond on July 13, 2026, to fund design and construction of drainage and related municipal infrastructure in the neighborhood near the Richards school site; committee members confirmed the expense is fully city-funded and will proceed as a DPW-managed project, and work requires coordination with MassDOT on some elements.
On July 13, 2026, the Marlborough City Finance Committee approved a $6,300,000 stormwater bond to fund design, construction and improvement of stormwater drainage and related municipal infrastructure in the neighborhood near the Richards school site.
City project presenters and the city engineer described recurring flooding in the Ripley and McGee Avenue area tied to undersized trunk lines for Millham Brook, and said HydroCAD modeling found the school site contributes only a small share of the overall runoff but the flooding encroaches on the southern entrance and wetlands tied to the site. City engineer Tom DiPercio said the work will likely include upsizing the trunk line (a large, multi-street construction effort) and coordination with MassDOT to address a stilling basin and drainage channel behind the school; DiPercio also noted potential operations at Lake Williams Dam to help manage peak flows.
Vertex told the committee that two of the stormwater options in the study carry an approximate $5 million construction estimate plus about $1.3 million in design/contingency if pursued as a separate DPW project. Committee members asked whether any state funding covers the stormwater bond; Councilor Doucette asked for clarification and staff confirmed the stormwater appropriation is entirely city-funded.
A councilor moved to approve the $6,300,000 stormwater bond; the motion was seconded and the committee voted 5–0 to carry the motion with a suspension to advertise the item before reporting it to the full City Council. Implementation will be managed by the Department of Public Works with continued coordination between DPW, the project team, and MassDOT where required.
