Chicopee Brook Flood Resilience Improvements Visioning Workshop and Public Meeting

MONSON, MA | CHICOPEE BROOK FLOOD RESILIENCE IMPROVEMENTS VISIONING WORKSHOP AND PUBLIC MEETING 05/04/2023

WELCOME & THANK YOU  Welcome!  We would like to start by thanking and

acknowledging:

 Members of the Monson community  Town of Monson Staff, including:  Bob Ainsworth

 Brian Harris  Craig Jalbert  Justin Larivee  Ben Murphy

 Tim Pascale  Toni Uliana  Jennifer Wolowicz

 MVP Action Grant Program, especially Andrew

Smith

OUR PROJECT TEAM  Andrew Bohne, RLA

Associate - Senior Landscape Architect

 Lara Sup, PE

Lead Civil Engineer  Claire Nauman

 Jeffrey Dawson

Landscape Designer

Climate Resilience

Engineer  Michael Frederick

 Julie Busa, PhD, CSE,

PWS Senior Resilience Scientist

Landscape Designer  Alex Maxwell, PhD

Resilience Planner

MONSON’S COMMUNITY RESILIENCE GOALS  Town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

(HMP) update characterized flooding as a high hazard for Monson – especially along the Chicopee Brook corridor  Monson’s Municipal Vulnerability

Preparedness (MVP) planning process identified the development of a Flood Damage Reduction Plan (emphasizing nature-based solutions) as one of the highest priority actions needed to increase resilience

ABOUT THE PROJECT

HISTORY OF CHICOPEE BROOK  Built up as historical hub for economic

and industrial activity  Updated FEMA mapping (in 2014)

expanded the extents of the floodplain, with corresponding increases to the number of properties potentially at risk  Hilly topography and rocky terrain

confine the brook  In recent history, Chicopee Brook has

flooded Bunyan Drive, Fenton Road, and Pulpit Rock Road, submerging bridges and isolating critical facilities

MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PREPAREDNESS (MVP) PROGRAM  FY2023 Municipal Vulnerability

Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant project  Complete a hydrologic and hydraulic

(H&H) modeling study of the Chicopee Brook corridor – modeling current and future flood conditions  Create concepts for potential

improvement scenarios at several key locations adjacent to the downtown area and priority areas

WHY HAVE A VISIONING WORKSHOP AND PUBLIC MEETING?  Monson received an MVP Action

Grant to:  Model current and future projected flood

conditions to identify anticipated floodplain impacts in Chicopee Brook  Develop concepts for key flood resilience

projects along Chicopee Brook

 Tonight, we are here to help visualize

and discuss concepts for key flood resilience projects and establish tangible benefits to make informed decisions about the future

OUR APPROACH

LOOK

LISTEN

CONCEPTUALIZE

CREATE

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023 Bunyan Road

Cushman & Veterans Field

Bliss Street Impoundment Maple Street

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP – WHAT WE HEARD

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023 Bunyan Road

Cushman & Veterans Field

Bliss Street Impoundment Maple Street

MAPLE STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Undersized culvert in need of

replacement and realignment  Passes under existing railroad bridge  Currently blocked off to through

traffic

MAPLE STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS

MAPLE STREET – CONCEPT  Realigned and enlarged

open bottomed box culvert  Nature-based bank

protection and flow deflection (root wads) Estimated Costs: $950,000 to $2.1 million (M)

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023 Bunyan Road

Cushman & Veterans Field

Bliss Street Impoundment Maple Street

BUNYAN ROAD – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Bunyan Road prone to flood, with

history of overtopping  Temporary bridge structure in place

over primary channel  Proximate to wetland habitat and

Monson Water Supply Land  Residents and water supply land

vulnerable to being cut off during large storm events  Need for access to residential

properties and water supply land

BUNYAN ROAD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

BUNYAN ROAD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

BUNYAN ROAD – CONCEPT  Removal of Bunyan Road over Chicopee Brook  Removal of abandoned railroad abutments

 Restore wetlands and stream channel  Construction of new road

Estimated Costs: $4.4 M to $9.3 M

Removal and restoration

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023 Bunyan Road

Cushman & Veterans Field

Bliss Street Impoundment Maple Street

BLISS STREET IMPOUNDMENT – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Proximate to old Omega Metal

Processing facility with history of chemical spill into Chicopee Brook  Shallow impoundment with build up

of sediment  Lacking parking and recreational

amenities  Opportunity for ecological restoration

and potential flood storage

BLISS STREET IMPOUNDMENT – EXISTING CONDITIONS

BLISS STREET IMPOUNDMENT – EXISTING CONDITIONS

BLISS STREET IMPOUNDMENT – CONCEPT  Formal parking area with green infrastructure  Wildlife viewing overlook area

 Dam removal  Removal of mill buildings  Site remediation

 Restored stream with habitat and water

quality enhancements  Integration of nature-based solutions

 Trail network with boardwalk sections  Historic, cultural, and educational signage

Estimated Costs: $7.2 M to $15.4 M

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023 Bunyan Road

Cushman & Veterans Field

Bliss Street Impoundment Maple Street

CUSHMAN FIELD & VETERANS FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Public land includes Veteran’s Field and

Cushman Field, which are prone to being flooding  Underutilized when wet

 Current and historical recreational

uses include youth baseball and soccer

 Other uses include food truck events

and other community gatherings at Veteran’s Field

 Desire to improve connectivity public

fields and incorporate multigenerational uses and universal design features

CUSHMAN FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

CUSHMAN FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

CUSHMAN FIELD – CONCEPT  Formal parking area with green

infrastructure

 Comfort station  12U baseball field  Tot soccer fields  Loop trail  Wildlife viewing overlook  Restored riverfront  Storage shed  Connection to Veterans Field  Chicopee Brook Trail

Estimated Costs: $5.3 M to $11.3 M

VETERANS FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

VETERANS FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

VETERANS FIELD – CONCEPT  Loop trail with fitness

stations  Playground and splash pad  Green infrastructure and

drainage improvements  JV baseball field restoration  Performance Pavilion  Chicopee Brook Trail with

overlooks  Restored riverfront

Estimated Costs: $3.4 M to $7.1 M

19 CUSHMAN ST

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION  What did you like about the

concepts that have been developed to date?  Are there any specific design elements that

you liked?

 Does the concept resonate with any ideas that

you have had for these sites?

 What is one aspect you wish could

be improved about the existing concepts?

 Are there design considerations that are

missing?

 Is there a piece of the concept that could be

better represented?

REVIEW OF NEXT STEPS

NEXT STEPS  Solicit additional feedback via form on

Town website  Finalize illustrative site concepts  Develop preliminary cost estimates

 Prepare/submit FY24 MVP Action

Grant application

THANK YOU!  Have additional questions/comments?  Contact: Toni Uliana Conservation Agent Town of Monson (413) 688-0022 tuliana@monson-ma.gov

BUNYAN ROAD AND PALMER ROAD INUNDATION MAPS

BUNYAN ROAD INUNDATION MAPS

CUSHMAN FIELD TO CUSHMAN STREET INUNDATION MAPS

CUSHMAN FIELD INUNDATION MAPS

OAK STREET TO MAPLE STREET INUNDATION MAPS

VETERANS FIELD INUNDATION MAPS