Newton’s Public Facilities Committee met Wednesday evening to discuss a request for a main drain extension at 132 Homer St. following a history of flooding and drainage overflow.
Newton resident Betsy Harper petitioned for the main drain extension, which would begin near 16 and 17 Chapin Rd. and extend east to the end of Chapin Road. Chapin Road is directly behind Homer Street, and the closest drainage system to the 132 Homer St. lot is at the extension location.
As a result of the high groundwater level, it is not feasible to infiltrate the runoff from the extension of the road, according to a memorandum provided by Newton’s engineering division.
The applicant, Harper, is proposing a collection, storage, and treatment system that requires an overflow connection to the City’s drain main, found at 16 and 17 Chapin Rd.
Part of the proposed plan includes an extension of Chapin Road itself. Chapin Road runs parallel behind the lots on Homer Street, and the proposed road adjunct extends behind 132 Homer St. to allow for the creation of a three-lot subdivision.
The drain will provide overflow connections to the proposed on-site infiltration system designed for the new dwellings. This overflow connection will be provided to the lots along the proposed drain main extension, according to the memorandum.
The memorandum explained that once the main is operational, it will be turned over to Newton to be included as part of the city’s drainage system.
The applicant will pay 100 percent of the installation cost per the Department of Public Works Standards.
John Daghlian, associate city engineer for Newton, discussed the details of the petitioned extension with council members.
“In 2023, the border survey approved a three-lot subdivision which created two new lots off of the property 132 Homer Street,” said Daghlian. “But when they did the testing for the groundwater it was very shallow—it was only down about 24 inches in one case the other one was about 20 inches”
Daghlain explained that the shallow groundwater triggered the need for a drain man extension because residents would be unable to infiltrate 100 percent of their property.
“The closest drain manhole is down here between number 16 and 17 Chapin Road,” said Daghlian. “They will extend the 12 inches drain line approximately 500 feet to the subdivision itself.”
When the committee opened for public hearing, several community members came forward.
One Newton resident asked about the possibility of frequent flooding along the street, and Daghlian explained that several precautions are being put in place for this very reason.
“The applicant is doing this to the benefit of the neighborhood as well, so yes drain main is being put in at the drain lines, and there’s also going to be a couple of catch basins that they’re installing,” Daghlain said. “If those are installed and properly maintained we think they should take care of any problems on the road.”
Newton resident April Stein, who lives on Chapin Road, expressed confusion as to why the responsibility of this main drain falls to a resident, not the city.
“I’m confused as to why an individual property owner would have to pay for drainage all the way down the street when it’s the benefit of all of our all the residents on Chapin Road, and it’s a pretty expensive thing for an individual to have to pay for,” Stein said.
Daghlain explained that the lot’s conditions meant that action taken by the resident would be required to improve the current drainage conditions.
The drainage requirements are a byproduct of the resident’s desire to create the three-lot subdivision behind the 132 Homer St. Property, according to Daghlian.
“The site does not have conducive soils for infiltration into their stormwater,” said Daghlain. “The board of survey made it a condition that if [the resident] were to get approval for the three lot subdivision, they would have to extend the drain main to pick up the runoff from their property and then take care of all the pumps that would be associated with the neighboring properties.”
At that time, the applicant agreed to the conditions that the board of survey set and obtained the board’s certificate of approval, explained Daghlain.
The public hearing closed, and committee members said further discussion on subjects brought up by residents would be addressed at a following meeting.
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