LYNN — The city has received state funding for projects to address flooding issues.
The funding is part of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program and includes $190,000, which will be used to address frequent flooding at the General Electric Athletic Association Field.
“This project that was funded is sort of a continuation that was done a couple of years back around the Strawberry Brook watershed study,” Aaron Clausen, the city’s principal planning director, said. “In that plan, Barry Park and G.E.A.A. Field were identified as areas where green infrastructure could be implemented in a park context to increase flood storage while possibly even improving the recreational amenities themselves.”
Clausen said that the money from the state will be used to explore strategies and develop concept designs as part of a park-reconstruction project to mitigate flooding. He said that this work will expand on concepts that have already been developed.
According to Clausen, ideas like rain gardens, bioswales, underground storage, and daylighting will be looked into. He added that the city needs to have a design completed by June 2024 before it moves into the next step of the process, which will include licensing and permitting.
“The big picture here is that we’re looking to design a reconstruction of the park where it serves as a recreational amenity but also as a flood storage,” Clausen said. “(The funding) is going to go toward design and engineering for the solution.”
Clausen noted that the project will also likely positively impact homes and businesses in the area.
“There will be a benefit,” Clausen said. “Is it going to solve the flooding problem? No. A single park project isn’t going to solve the entire problem.”
The award is part of the $31.5 million the Commonwealth is doling out for MVP Action Grants, which go toward projects focused on addressing the impacts of climate change with proactive strategies, including nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of flooding.
The city will also get a portion of $154,717 that has been awarded for the Saugus Pines River Regional Advocacy for Resilience, which includes five Saugus River Watershed communities. The communities are Lynn, Revere, Saugus, Malden, and Everett.
Clausen said the communities are working together to find a solution to a problem they all face.
“The municipalities that partnered all have a connection to the Saugus River watershed,” Clausen said. “The idea here is to take a step back. Clearly, watersheds don’t respect town boundaries or city boundaries. They’re going to flood where they’re supposed to flood.”
The project previously received funding from the Commonwealth as part of the MVP funding in 2022, which Clausen said was used to complete a coastal-resiliency assessment for the five communities in the watershed. He said it is necessary for the communities to work together to find a solution that takes into account the other communities in a thoughtful way.
“Best-case scenario, it doesn’t really help anyone else, it just benefits that community,” he said. “Worst-case scenario, one community can exacerbate a problem that a different community has.”
Clausen said that the funding for the SPRARR will be used for planning concepts that will be implemented in future designs to tackle the problem.
Mayor Jared Nicholson said the city was grateful to the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the state delegation, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their commitment to ensuring the city is climate-resilient and proactive in protecting our community.
“This funding is instrumental in assisting Lynn’s efforts towards addressing the climate-change impacts our residents are most affected by,” Nicholson said.
Clausen said that the community can stay updated on the project by visiting the planning department’s website at lynnincommon.com.
