Ward 1

A Decade of Flooding in Berea, Ohio

2 Comments

Gail Grizzell is a force to be reckoned with.  Polite to a fault, she has an intensity and drive that brings people together.  Her message is simple:  Mayor Kleem, “Stop the flooding in my basement.” You see, Gail’s neighborhood has been flooding for a decade.  Broken promises, half-truths, and shifting positions have worked to mask the failure of the city, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

It’s best to start at the beginning. In July of 2011, Berea experienced heavy rainfall.  Very heavy.  The city was inundated with calls about flooded basements.  Mapping the calls, the city found two distinct areas where the flooding was happening.  One centered around Fair Street.  The other consisted of multiple roads located on the north side of Ward 1.  The city assembled a commission to study the problem and worked to resolve the flooding.

The city took two approaches to fix the sewers.  On Fair Street, the city tore up the street and put in new, larger sewer pipes and water lines. Result- no more flooding. The Ward 1 fix was not as extensive.  Ward 1 had a few pipes replaced, but many of the sections were “relined.”  Relining is a process where special resin is sprayed on the inside of a pipe to fix cracks and other issues.  Water pipes and other infrastructure issues were not addressed for Ward 1. 

While there are many details that can be debated about the project- the bottom line is the city’s resolution for the north side of Ward 1, did not work:  Basements still flood  (It is worth noting, in 2019, only 25% of registered voters in Ward 1 voted.  The areas around Fair Street?  Forty percent of residents registered voted.)

This is where Gail steps in.

Born and raised in Berea, Gail owns a house built in 1949 in the middle of Ward 1 and has lived there for 21 years.  Her sister Gay Grizzell lives in their family house, also built-in 1949, located next door. 

After 10 years of flooding, Gail has had enough.  She stuck a sign out in front of her house stating, “Mayor Kleem, Stop the flooding in my basement.” Gail has begun to meet weekly in her sister’s garage.  She enlisted the support of her neighbors, whose basements continue to flood.  Gail does not miss a beat.  She serves refreshments and calls the meeting to order, discussing recent actions and inventing new ways to engage the city. 

Mayor Kleem

“If you improve your deficient sewers but your neighbors do not, YOU MAY STILL FLOOD.”

Mayor Kleem

Gail’s band of neighbors seeking to save their homes is making an impact, but it’s an uphill fight.  The city has pushed back.  Originally, the city told residents, they had to waterproof their basements.  So, many did.  They spent $10,00  to $15,000 to fix every last issue in their respective houses.  Yet their basement continued to flood.

When residents noted how much they were spending on repairs, the city shifted its narrative.  In a letter to the homeowners, the mayor writes: “If you improve your deficient sewers but your neighbors do not, YOU MAY STILL FLOOD.”  Wait – blame your neighbor?  Or more importantly, why would their repairs impact my basement?  The answer to that is more disturbing. 

There are two sewers running under our streets – storm and sanitary.  The city has claimed it fixed the storm sewers, and they have enough capacity to manage loads from rainfall.  The sewer with lower capacity is the sanitary sewers; the city clams water runoff is making its way into the sanitary sewer and overloading them.  If the city is right, and there is plenty of capacity in the storm sewers, it’s the sanitary sewer that is overflowing.  This means raw, untreated sewage is being pumped into basements from other households.  That is not only gross but also a health issue.  Raw sewage contains bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses that can cause intestinal, lung, and other infections. Bacteria may cause diarrhea, fever, cramps, and sometimes vomiting, or other ill effects.

Gail and her neighbors have been fighting this battle for 10 years. They know nothing comes easy.  They have the will and determination. The question remains: Will this be enough to fight city hall?

Written By

Mark Dent

Hello! My name is Mark, I'm a Berea resident and owner of the Law Office of Mark Dent. I’ve been preparing estate plans since 2003 when I served in the Army as a JAG Attorney. I’m a graduate of Ohio Northern Law School and have bachelor's degrees in both Political Science and Computer Science. My wife and I enjoy running 5ks and exploring the Metro Parks. I am located around the corner from Dick’s Bakery, which I blame for my poor run times and an extra 5 pounds around my midsection. Unfortunately, their donuts are some of the best Ohio has to offer!

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2 Comments

  1. Denise Malinky

    Excellent is the only word I can think of.

  2. A. Wagnor

    We are the forgotten Ward of Berea, with out the residents speaking up we have no representation.