PLUMSTED – Elayne Szydlo of 13 Lakeview Drive moved to New Egypt six years ago and her street was dry. Three years ago, sewer pipes were installed and her nightmare began as the road reached perpetual leakage.
During a recent Township Committee meeting Szydlo raised her voice in frustration telling the governing body that she had reached her limit about the problem.
She told The Jackson Times, “The street was a mess, our small street was used as the staging area to store all of the road equipment for over a month,” she said. “This street typically has a high water table due to its proximity to the lake. After a rain, there is sump pump runoff from homes in the area, which dries up in a day or two.”
Szydlo added, “after the sewer pipes were installed, the street started having constant flooding. Rain or shine, the water kept coming.”
“The front of my house is a running stream full of sludge, mud and algae. At the time I contacted the township, and the (Plumsted Municipal Utilities Authority), and finally (Committeeman) Bob Bowen took an interest and suddenly there was an interest.”
Photo courtesy Elayne Szydlo
She said “engineers and surveyors came and it was agreed that underground drainage pipes were damaged during the sewer pipe installations. That was about 2.5 years ago. Grant money was applied for and granted; the project cost is approximately $385,000.”
“The work was planned to be done in 2023, then it was ‘postponed.’ The work was planned for this month and I just found out it was about to be postponed again. Hence why I spoke up at the meeting,” Szydlo said.
She commented to the mayor and committee, “I never complain but what can we do to expedite the Lakeview Drive property? It has been three years. I have a path in front of my house 24/7, rain or no rain. It is green algae, muck, stuff floating around in there and I have to step in that. Anyone who comes to my house has to step into it to get into my house.”
Szydlo said, “I’ve been patient. This was from damage done when the sewer was built. It has been three years. It was supposed to have been (fixed) this month. The whole street was having a party. Now you delayed it again because it has something to do with the engineer. What can we do?”
That night a representative from Morgan Engineering, the township’s new engineering firm was present. “I can not wait any longer,” she told the representative and the governing body.
“People have to jump over this moat of all this sludge and algae. It won’t stop,” she added.
“Are you familiar with where the moisture is coming from?” Mayor Dominick Cuozzo asked.
Photo courtesy Elayne Szydlo
Szydlo replied, “It is part sump pump and part of the drainage that was broken in the road when they were putting the pipes in. That is what I was told.”
“Now we have flooding in the middle of the street and there are puddles there now. We have been patient but I’m not patient anymore. It is embarrassing,” she added.
“Come visit me and step over the moat,” she suggested.
“I’ve been there with our buildings and grounds crew. I agree it is really a terrible situation and I believe you are right about the cause,” the mayor said.
The resident said, “the road is crumbling. I can’t go through another summer like this.”
Mayor Cuozzo said, “we are planning to do it this summer.”
“This is the second extension,” Szydlo pointed out. “I’m just not accepting it anymore. It’s disgusting.”
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