Constant flooding near Stuyvesant Plaza frustrates business owners
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The notorious stretch of road on the Albany-Guilderland border – an area that often gets flooded – was back open Wednesday.
The area near Fuller Road and Western Avenue next to Stuyvesant Plaza was a much different scene from the rushing water that trapped some people in their cars and forced some businesses owners to close early.
Deep flooding swallowed a car and people in the area told NewsChannel 13 it ruined several other cars. The rain started to get bad there around 6:00 p.m. and by the time it was 6:45 p.m., Guilderland Police shut down that portion of Western Avenue.
The owner of a cell phone repair shop nearby was trapped for several hours at his shop on higher ground, waiting for the water to recede, until about 9:30 Tuesday night.
“I’m going out, and then I see there is water, and one car there, maybe more than five feet of water,” said owner Majaharul Islam, whose shop MobiCentrix opened recently.
The notorious stretch of road on the Albany-Guilderland border – an area that often gets flooded – is back open Wednesday.
It’s a situation that people who live and work there know all too well.
The manager of Jacob & Anthony’s Italian said in his six years overseeing the restaurant, the same corner has flooded around once a year. They closed half an hour early Tuesday as the flood affected customers and employees.
“At least five or six times over the years this has happened to us. And it definitely can steer business away, because people can’t get into the plaza from this side they have to redirect traffic,” Michael Wedderspoon, Multi-Unit General Manager for Marrello Restaurants and Catering, said.
“I think they should look into trying to put a new drainage system in and really figure out the situation, so it doesn’t happen in the future,” he said.
NewsChannel 13 did some digging and found an announcement from town of Guilderland officials in 2015, saying the town received $2.75 million to improve drainage along Western Avenue and alleviate flooding near Stuyvesant Plaza.
Watch the video of Stella Porter’s story for more information about the grant money.