Possible solutions for Oakmont Commons flooding to come out soon

Solutions for flooding problems in the Oakmont Commons neighborhood are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Senate Engineering submitted plans and models earlier this year to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review in order to determine the next course of action in alleviating concerns of dozens of residents impacted by floods in July 2019.

The borough’s Commons housing plan was among several parts of Allegheny County devastated by those storms.

It got to the point where several residents requested the borough seek information into the federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to buy the homes in the flood plane so they could move out.

Borough Engineer Amber Yon announced Monday night that her firm received recommendations from the Army Corps, updated the models and have one more thing to accomplish before making a public report.

“The next step is having them review our revised model, which they have agreed to do at no cost to Oakmont borough,” Yon said. “We’re just going to continue to operate under our current agreement with them, and we will be emailing and conducting Zoom meetings once Senate submits the revised model to the Army Corps. I expect it to be a very quick turnaround. They have the staff available to look into this right away.”

Harmony-based Sperdute Land Surveying analyzed Plum Creek and parts of the Commons last year as part of the efforts to help address storm water management issues. The data was submitted to Senate Engineering, where it was used to create models and test different scenarios.

Yon could not provide a specific time frame, but said a report will be made to council soon with engineering recommendations.

“We are making progress,” she said.

Councilwoman Carrie DelRosso said she recently spoke with Oakmont Commons residents, and they’re very concerned about heavy storms coming this month.

“We just don’t want history repeating itself,” DelRosso said.

Borough Manager Scot Fodi ensured meeting participants that Oakmont has done all it can to this point to address flooding issues, including cleaning culverts and repairing inlets.

Council President Patricia Friday said finding solutions for the Commons remains a priority and hopes to form a “concrete plan” once the borough has the recommendations.

Yon estimated projects could exceed $500,000.

“The solution to prevent flooding of this magnitude is going to be substantially expensive,” she said. “We want to make sure that we model it and we plan it out. We don’t want to spend half a million dollars creating a berm that doesn’t work.

“We want to make sure we cross our T’s and dot our I’s, and we’ve really thought this through. I don’t think it’s going to be much longer. I understand the nervousness of those people in the flood plane area. We’re working as quick as we can.”

Council’s next voting meeting is July 20 at the borough building.