By GARRETT STASSE
The impact of floods that tore through eastern Monmouth County will be felt for years in Ocean Township as residents and officials hunt for ways to at least minimize the damage next time.
The worst of it devastated the Poplar Village senior citizen complex, whose 93 units had to be evacuated. Township police, fire, first aid and Human Services Department employees and the Red Cross worked for days to minister to and eventually relocate the residents. It isnt known when or even if the complex can be repaired.
The effort may have contributed to a township employees death.
Township Manager David Kochel said George Henry, a Road Department assistant foreman, worked through the storm helping others, went home and succumbed to a heart attack.
Poplar Brook again overflowed to force the evacuation, an event thats occurred many times over the years. No one could recall worse flooding.
If theres a silver lining in the eight-day downpour, its that the Army Corps of Engineers might finally have a solution, Mayor William Larkin said Monday, noting that the township and Deal have been pressing state and federal agencies for over 30 years.
Larkin met with Corps officials on Monday, who said it could build a 1,600-foot-long, 10-foot-high berm on Whalepond Road to create a huge retention basin in Joe Palaia Park. The brook courses through the park and is the only open space large enough for such a project. The Corps wants to conduct another feasibility study before construction, which could be up to four years off, he said.
Deputy Mayor J. David Hiers said the township should continue to press the Corps for a fix.
I want the Ocean Township Council to show the urgency of getting the Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a solution, he said. The Corps has to see how serious this is. Its really devastating four our residents to go through this.
Larkin credited Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th, with pressuring the Corps to see first hand the devastation the brook caused.
In 30 years there has been study after study but nothing has come to fruition, he said. After todays (Mondays) meeting things are starting to look optimistic. Were getting very close on this.
Poplar Village is a non-profit corporation independent of township government. Larkin said the township offered land to build more units but gave no details. Kochel said on Tuesday Ocean has offered for free 1.7 acres adjacent to the complex that could hold up to 30 units, but the snag is funding for construction and operations.
The corporation tried to negotiation a financing package with the state about 10 years ago but nothing came of it. The problem is having enough revenue to repay, he said.
Flooding also struck Deal Lake and along Whalepond Brook. The lake rose about six feet on Friday, causing extensive damage in Loch Arbour and Asbury Park. Storm water infiltration into the sewer system on North Wanamassa Drive sent thousands of gallons of untreated sewage into the lake over three days.
Branch Road residents told council on Monday that extensive flooding along Whalepond Brook forced them to evacuate and they asked for help. An Eatontown developer installed an unapproved storm drain to the brook, they said, adding that debris in the brook might have aggravated their plight.
Kochel said there is almost no public access to the brook to let workers clean it.
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