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Heavy rains caused such severe major flooding problems around Tompkins County last month that major state and county roads were closed in Newfield and Danby.  Here in Lansing flooding continues to be a problem for the Town and residents alike.  Flooding at Myers Park has caused the cancellation of several summer programs, and property owners are repeatedly being slammed by destructive storm water that continues to rack up repair charges.  Jurisdiction issues confound residents as they attempt to find someone who can solve their flooding problems.

"We've been flooded three times within about a year's period of time," Auburn Road resident Emma Harner told the Lansing Town Board last week.  "Don has owned this property since 1970 and we never had flooding in the area where we are having it now.  In the last few days I spoke with many of you as well as state representatives.  I keep getting referred to somebody else and somebody else.  The problem is not going to magically go away.  We've been having this flooding for a good year now, and it's getting worse."

Parks Superintendent Steve Colt says that even when it is not raining, lingering flooding means restricting people from parking on the grass for events, or even being at certain portions of the park.


"The first concert rained out on Thursday," Colt told Town Board members.  "We shot for Friday.  We had heavy rains Thursday night so we had to cancel on Friday even though the weather was beautiful.  Our crew really did a great job trying to get ready for the fireworks show.  The water management and the rain is crushing us.  We have standing water around our C and D pavilions.  We had to divert people and get creative in different parts of the park and cluster the tables on the high spots.  Our day camp has been out of the park more than it's been in because it's floating where their camp usually takes place.  Our beach opened about a week and a half late due to high lake conditions and debris and water.  It's been tough."

Flooding is a problem all over the Town.  In heavy rains South Lansing from Rogue's Harbor Inn to Triphammer Road has been covered in water.  Autumn Ridge has had severe flooding problems, and Ludlowville is a frequently flooded neighborhood.  Beginning in 2008 Tompkins County Senior Planner Scott Doyle has overseen a $480,000 project aimed at improve drainage and help to avoid future damage to the hamlet.  A week ago Tuesday rains were so heavy in the Village of Lansing that storm water overwhelmed the storm drains at Tops Market, and water was above some customers' ankles as they ran from their cars into the store.

Councilman Ed LaVigne cited a major flood problem in Autumn Ridge, where flood mitigation sparked antagonism between neighbors that prevented effective action.  The Town had little authority to pay for what was essentially a private property issue.  But LaVigne noted that with involvement of town officials neighbors at Autumn Ridge have gotten together to take actions he hopes will solve their flooding problem.

Neighbors were previously divided on how or whether action should be taken.  Rancor was so extreme that one resident demanded the County Sheriff arrest Highway Superintendent Jack French and Deputy Superintendent Charlie Purcell last August for trespassing on his property when they went there to evaluate flooding, even though they have the authority to be on private property in such circumstances.  Since that incident the Town stepped in, and armed with recommendations from Town Engineer David Herrick neighbors banded together to implement a deep ditch where a berm was.

"If it jumps that we've all got problems," LaVigne said.  "That's a lot of water. It's almost six feet high and it seems to have rectified the problem.  We're extremely concerned about the flooding situation."

On the section or Auburn Road that leads into Peruville Road the flooding is relatively new.  Harner says that engineers have told her the source of the flooding is in a farmer's field about a mile and a half away on Peruville Road.


"I finally went to all the neighbors on the Peruville Road and the East side of Auburn Road from Triphammer down to East Shore Drive.  Every one had a problem except for one neighbor," she said.  "That neighbor said water ran through their yard like a big river, but they did not have any property damage per se.  other neighbors have lost everything from finished basements, damages to swimming pools, damages to out buildings, furnace loss and water damage.  For some of us it's been very costly to have the repairs made.  Of course we're not just dealing with Lansing. We're dealing with the county, with the private property owners, and with the state.  It's a very complex issue."

That is a serious problem for many residents.  Roads in the townships may or may not be owned by the Town.  Some are owned by Tompkins County and others by New York State.  Harner demanded that the Town Board represent the residents, coordinating the efforts of the various stakeholders, and reporting back to the neighbors on a regular basis.  She submitted a series of questions her neighbors asked to have addressed, including a request for a contact person to be assigned by the Town.

Councilman Ed LaVigne said he had previously consulted with Harner, and had already called New York State Senator Nozzolio's office twice, because Auburn Road is a state road.  Nozzolio sent a letter to the NYS Department Of Transportation (DOT).  Nozzolio's staff told LaVigne that the ditch clearing was not related to the flooding problem, but was work that needed to be done coincidentally around the time of the neighborhood flooding.

"They are waiting for the state and the DOT to give them a definitive answer," said LaVigne.  "What is your plan?  What our concerns are, how do we address them and how do we address them as quickly as possible?  So that conversation is still going on today.  I talked to his Chief of Staff today and they are moving forward on this.  They said they will keep me in the loop and send me a copy of his letter to the DOT, which I'll be glad to share with you."

LaVigne says that property owners need to take the initiative to ask Town Board members for help.  He said that they don't always have the authority to do something about it, but they can help by contacting agencies that do.

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