Lower Paradise Flood Fix May Come Sooner Than Expected

Town Administrator Tom Younger told selectmen Wednesday that the town has a plan for funding drainage improvements to combat flooding in lower Paradise Road and other areas.

The plan awaits an engineering cost estimate, he said.

He added that the plan may be implemented earlier than expected.

Selectmen await specifics on the plan and funding.

The administrator's remarks came in response to a question from Selectman Glenn Kessler.

The selectman wanted to know if the town has honed in on an option for tackling flooding problems.

Last month, Kleinfelder company representatives presented selectmen four alternatives for solving the lower Paradise flooding woes.

Chief among them was an estimated $4.4 million alternative to alleviate flooding on Paradise Road near Franklin Avenue and Swampscott Avenue; lower Banks Road near Farragut Road; and Shaw Road and Elmwood Road.

Other options, whose costs would range from $750,000 to $1.9 million, address flooding in smaller, isolated areas.  The consultants recommended the $4.4 million option, saying it would alleviate flooding in the largest area.

That option calls for installing larger, 36-inch drainage pipes and a 4-foot by 6-foot box culvert, Kleinfelders' representative Mark Thompson said.