The first picture here is Sunday morning Southbound on Rte 128 just before the Mall Road/Rte3A exit. We have 2 state DPW trucks trying to manage the water flowing along the break down lane.
Picture number 2 shows the flow of the water along the exit ramp itself as you approach route 3A.
Picture number 3 shows the source of the water. This is what formerly was a woodland just below the Trammel Crow/Burlington Centre site. As you can see it is no longer a woodland but now an overflow swamp that is killing all of the trees that formerly existed there. Will continued build out and water run off from impervious surfaces in the town increase the number of these vegetating woodlands that are being turned into swamps?
Picture number 4 is the Center Street standpipe. This was formerly painted a beautiful sky blue color which almost made the tank fit into the landscape. Since the town leased out the standpipe to antennae companies you can see the visible deterioration of the tank. The orange color that you see is a large and continuing build up of rust on the exterior of the tank. Is the income from the rental worth the obvious damage that is being done to the tank? Has the town explored what the damage means to the life of the tank as well as the safety issue should the tank continue to corrode?
Lastly of course is a picture that we are all familiar with. These are the pumps at the Terrace Hall lift station pumping raw sewerage directly into the Vine Brook. This happened two weeks ago as well during a heavy rain storm and some snow pack melt. This has been an increasingly more common occurrence. What will be the effect when more development comes on line or if the economy improves and our vacancy rate declines significantly?
These issues are not going away and in fact are getting worse. Another area similar to the Trammel Crow site is down behind the old Star Market on Middlesex Turnpike. This used to be a woodland with the Vine Brook passing through it. It has now become a denuded area which is covered by water a good deal of the time.
Also of concern is the Great Meadow it self. Many large expansions have been approved in the area. Where is all the water going to go from roof and parking garage drains? Will it flood the Great Meadow and kill all the vegetation there?
The Planning Board, Board of Selectmen and the Conservation Commission need to take a serious look at the solution to this problem or we are going to have additional open space simply turned into swamp.
