Town of Big Flats

TOWN OF BIG FLATS, RESIDENTS SOLVE EROSION PROBLEMS:

It isn't often that government can address a resident's complaint not only quickly, but to everyone's satisfaction.

The town of Big Flats managed to pull off that feat recently, however.

Some residents along Antler Road approached the Town Board back in June about serious erosion problems along Owen Hollow Creek, a small, gravely stream that meanders through their residential neighborhood.

When heavy rains came and the creek rose, the raging waters ate away at the bank at an alarming rate, said Don Kloeber of Antler Road, one of the people who turned to the town for help.

Kloeber had lost about 6 feet of his property and some people had seen as much as 10 feet of their land gobbled up by the rain-swollen creek.

Town officials were sympathetic and looked at reviving a program Chemung County operated several years ago.

Under that program, the county paid 50 percent of the cost of stream bank stabilization and the affected property owners paid the rest.

After reviewing the issue, town officials decided it was their duty to act.

"We reintroduced the 50-50 program which the county used to have, and we put some money aside in the budget last year," Town Supervisor Mary Ann Balland said. "And people who have drainage issues can apply. We contracted out the work. We were delighted to be able to do it. It worked out for everybody. I'm pleased for them. We hope to do another one next year if someone makes an application."

The town hired a contractor to lay riprap along one side of the creek, and also to dredge some of the gravel from the stream bed and pile it on the other side, which is on town property.

The total project cost was about $40,000 said Big Flats Public Works Commissioner Larry Wagner. Under the program, the town paid half that tab, and Kloeber and five neighbors split the remaining cost.