Donna Statzer, of Zelienople, states her concern about how new developments in the surrounding areas might have an impact on flooding in her community at a Zelienople borough public hearing on Monday. Zach Petroff/Butler Eagle

ZELIENOPLE — Jim Hulings said while he’s not a big “climate change” person, he is concerned about the recent “waterfall from the sky” in the community.

“Over a 100-year period we had two or three floods leading up to 2004,” Hulings said. “Starting in 2004, we had 14 flooding events, not counting the most recent.”

Hulings was one of nearly 25 residents at public hearing Monday, April 29, about recent flooding in the borough. The hearing allowed council members to inform the public about the borough’s plans to combat excess waterfall, which includes the possibility of joining other municipalities in a group water authority. Residents were then given an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about their community flooding.

Borough manager Andrew Spencer said there were two major issues Zelienople faces when it comes to dealing with flooding.

“The first one is (water) flow, or how do you get water through the town as fast as you can,” he said. “And then of course, the other issue is, when can we do to slow down, retain and alleviate flooding.”

Spencer said he estimates it would take nearly $4 million to fund all the projects the borough has planned.

“We budget about $30,000 a year for stormwater projects, repairs and maintenance in our street department budget,” Spencer said. “So we certainly realize that it’s going to take us some time to achieve $4 million worth of projects.”

One solution the borough has proposed is possibly joining Jackson Township, Evans City and Harmony to form a stormwater authority.

“We’re starting the education process for council and the public about the proposal to form a stormwater authority with the communities that are in the watershed that Zelienople is part of,” said solicitor Bonnie Brimmeier. “The goal is to develop projects and secure funding to help alleviate the causes of the stormwater flooding that these communities experience.”

Resident Dean Wack said he believed the cause of the increased flooding had to do with the increase in developments in neighboring municipalities.

“In my opinion the problem is we’ve had a lot of development above us in higher elevation,” Wack said. “And then we’re filling in the flood plains.”

Donna Statzer applauded the borough’s efforts to curb flooding, but shared Wack’s concern over the amount of homes being build in the southern part of the county.

“Yes, we have more rain, but it’s combined with unrelenting development of our rural lands and the willingness of our local government of these other areas to surrender the land’s natural protections,” Statzer said. “I think everyone in the room would agree, can we do something to challenge these municipalities, these ordinances and zoning and these developers that are coming in and doing this. And they leave. And we drown.”

Council president Mary Hess said developers in the 10 municipalities that make up the Southwest Butler Stormwater Planning Commission are required to retain more water than what was originally allowed on the property by 10%.

Those municipalities are Adams, Cranberry, Forward, Jackson, Lancaster, Penn townships, Evans City, Harmony, Seven Fields, and Zelienople.

Jim Hulings hands out information he’s been collecting about flooding in Butler County to Zelienople supervisors during the borough’s public hearing on Monday, April 29. Zach Petroff/Butler Eagle

Hess also said the borough does not have jurisdiction over other areas, which is why there has been an emphasis to partner with neighboring communities.

“Working together with these municipalities, we’ve been able to come together and figure out what exactly happens in our watersheds and where the sources of water have come,” Hess said. “And how we can retain it upstream to protect the individuals downstream.”

Resident Carol Espy offered a solution that would keep the developers at bay while also offering protection flooding.

“Maybe residents of all these townships and boroughs and municipalities would put their money where their mouths are and purchase some of these lands that might go to a developer,” Espy said. “Or at least a portion of these lands that might go to these developers and keep it green or make it a lake.”

Hess said the council will continue to explore solutions for flooding for the borough, which includes joining the water authority but will not make any rash decisions.

“The conversations are just starting,” she said.