After Years of Flooding, Kennedy Delivers $100,000 State Grant to Fund Sewer Improvements on Winston and Vegola Avenues in Cheektowaga

Town Homeowners Have Suffered Regular Flooding for Years, Damaging Homes, Personal Property, and Vehicles

Kennedy’s $100,000 Grant Will Install New Concrete Box Culvert Under Winston Ave, Working to Correct the Long-Standing Problem

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. - Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) stood with Cheektowaga Supervisor Diane Benczkowski to announce a $100,000 state grant that will work to correct a long-standing infrastructure problem on Winston and Vegola Avenues in the Town of Cheektowaga. Since 2008, residents have suffered from severe flooding numerous times due to an inadequate drainage system. Residents have incurred property damage, including to their homes and vehicles, resulting in significant expenses. Thanks to the grant secured by Kennedy, the Town of Cheektowaga will be installing a new concrete box culvert under Winston Avenue, diverting the flood waters from residential property.

“I stood on Vegola Avenue in 2015 to call for the state to review the town’s plan to clean up Scajaquada Creek,” said Senator Kennedy. “While there, I spoke with residents who told me about the chronic flooding their street and Winston Avenue suffer. I was shocked to hear about residents who have seen their homes flood multiple times and have had to replace their cars, leading to insurance issues. Due to inadequate design, these homeowners have suffered for too long. I’m proud to deliver these funds to correct this flaw, and to give residents some peace of mind.”

“Thank you Senator Tim Kennedy for working hard to make sure the Town of Cheektowaga received this funding to help the residents of the Winston-Vegola neighborhood,” said Town of Cheektowaga Supervisor Diane Benczkowski. “This project and grant shows the importance and effectiveness of different levels of government cooperating with one another to find meaningful solutions to everyday problems affecting the people we represent. With the upgraded drainage system in the area, residents can once again have peace of mind knowing that severe flooding in the area is a thing of the past.”

The plan, created by engineers from the town as well as the New York State Department of Transportation, calls for the replacement of an existing inadequate twin pipe culvert. The grant funds will pay for the purchase and installation of the box culvert, as well as any necessary piping, the decommissioning of the old twin pipe culvert, and restoration of the construction site.

Kennedy has worked with the Town of Cheektowaga for years to address water-related issues. In 2016, he helped Cheektowaga secure a $5 million state grant, along with a $15 million interest-free loan to begin work on overhauling the Town’s aging and inefficient sewer system that contributes to pollution problems in Scajaquada Creek.

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