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Rye City Hall Moves Ahead With Sluice Gate Project

RYE, N.Y. – Michael Pinelli and his neighbors on Wappanocca Ave. were hit particularly hard by recent flooding on Wappanocca Ave., so news of a potential sluice gate project that would affect water in the area comes during an appropriate time.

“I try to stay positive, but it’s difficult,” said Pinelli, who is still repairing damage after his house flooded up to six inches on his first floor during tropical storm Irene.  

The City of Rye recently entered into an inter-municipal agreement with the Village of Rye Brook to construct a sluice gate at the Bowman Avenue Dam to help reduce flooding around Blind Brook, which affects parts of both municipalities.

The sluice gate is intended to release water from the dam before a storm. The dam currently has no such mechanism.

The $2.2 million project was proposed after a 2007 flood mitigation study around the upper and lower ponds that feed in to Blind Brook.

Half of the funding is slated to be provided through a county grant, another $400 thousand would come from a state grant. The remaining funds would be provided by Rye and Rye Brook in the amounts of $547 thousand and $137 thousand, respectively.

The City of Rye’s engineering department will review a site plan application, which will be the last step before a bidding process can begin for the project.

Rye City Manager Scott Pickup said the application should be filed by the end of the month. No timeline has been set for the project's completion as the bidding process still remains, but Pickup estimated the construction itself could take four to six months.

“I’ll remain cautiously encouraged until something gets done,” said Pinelli.

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