Community Corner

Group Says Birchwood Flood Proximity Shown in FEMA Map

Concerned Citizens of Cranford post a map image of the Birchwood development's land and upstream flood zones.

Concerned Citizens of Cranford recently used a FEMA flood advisory map saying it shows that properties upstream from the contested Birchwood Avenue project are in flood zones. An image copied from the map, which is part of an interactive online mapping system used by FEMA, is available on CCC's tumblr website.

As previously reported in Patch, the Special Hearing Officer Douglas Wolfson recommended that the road and areas near 215-235 Birchwood Avenue, where a planned 360-unit apartment complex is pegged to go up, should be elevated more than a foot above the advised flood zone. That area was affected when the waters rose following Hurricane Irene.

In the CCC post, the group says Wolfon made his recommendations "without having any data on the impact on upstream properties." A final ruling on the Birchwood Avenue site plan is expected at a hearing with Judge Lisa F. Chrystal on Feb. 4 at 10a.m. at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth.

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Read More:

  • Special Officer Recommends Elevation Of Birchwood Avenue
  • Cranford Is Denied Motion in Birchwood Fight

 


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