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Lisa Rivieccio had the proof she needed: Videotape showed water gushing out of storm drains on Buckingham Place. "That was just frightening," she said. "People could say, 'What do you mean it's coming out?' It was a nightmare."
That proof and perseverance led to a rare public signing of a city contract Monday, as Mayor Richard Moccia executed the paperwork to begin a construction project meant to prevent future flooding problems for residents of Rivieccio East Avenue neighborhood, at a cost of more than $2 million.
FGB Construction will soon begin the work, which starts at the west end of Moody's Lane at the Norwalk River, then proceeds across East Avenue, east on Lockwood Lane, across Buckingham Place and concludes at the east end of Colonial Place. There will be new water inlets, and the old 36-inch pipes will be replaced with 60-inch pipes.
"This is as thrilling as a drainage problem can get," said Larry Rutenberg, a Buckingham Place resident and one of several neighbors who attended the signing. Many of them identified Rivieccio as the driving force to getting the problem fixed.
"I guess you could say I spearheaded it," Rivieccio said. "I don't want to call it a fight with the city because I don't look at it as a fight. It was really a matter of pleading our case and really proving it; being vocal and being part of the solution and staying on top of it. It's been a long, long process. I've met amazing people along the way who supported it, the mayor, the Common Council, the DPW, we had to prove our case. So between video, photography, they were able to see firsthand what was happening in our neighborhood."
Do you know of any other community activists who deserve attention? Email nchapman@mainstreetconnect.us.
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