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NEW DEVELOPMENT & CORRECTION:
Our September newsletter reference regarding The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) construction activity at Puff & Putt on Rt. 27 contained plan information formally reported to us that was outdated.
Today we saw construction that was not expected and spoke directly to the engineers on site. CCOM remains vigilant to Fort Pond’s water quality and is actively investigating the project in detail, working with the Town and the DOT Engineer In Charge to verify the most updated project information.
What we know: Storm water runoff will continue to be directed to Fort Pond with additional layers of filtration. The new ditch you see just east of the Puff N Putt minigolf course leading from the road to the pond will house a new drainage pipe, with a recharge basin on the end section of the pipe that will be lined with geotextile bedding and stone intended to filter runoff before it enters Fort Pond. The construction includes planned revegetation, including the planting of native Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) to address the section of vegetation removed in construction. CCOM is highly concerned with the disturbance of soil structure and critical vegetation amongst other key design choices of the plan.
The old outfall pipe will not be removed and will be filled with controlled low-strength material (CLSM) that will block all water flow. Stormwater will redirect to the new drainage system.
What we’ve said: In 2021 when New York State held a public hearing to propose this project, titled “storm drainage improvement highway runoff mitigation”, CCOM and East Hampton Town were the only entities to submit a statement opposing the plan and detailing our disapproval of its design as a solution, asking the state to present alternate plan options. Despite this, the DOT gained approval to proceed with the plan. Although there were amendments to the plan from its 2021 proposal, requests and preferences voiced both by the Town and CCOM for design were not delivered.
CCOM works to monitor Fort Pond's water quality levels and is developing an improved robust water quality monitoring initiative to deliver the best available information to the community and partners.
CLICK HERE to access the NYSDOT’s final design report.
CLICK HERE to access the contract’s documents for this project #D264984
CLICK HERE (or on the image below) to view the NYS DOT plan schematic for this project.
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