Army Corps sifting through feedback on home elevation plan

THE U.S. ARMY Corps of Engineers has unveiled a $58.6 million plan to elevate structures in four Rhode Island communities threatened by coastal sea rise. / COURTESY ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
THE U.S. ARMY Corps of Engineers has unveiled a $58.6 million plan to elevate structures in four Rhode Island communities threatened by coastal sea rise. / COURTESY ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

PROVIDENCE – More than 50 individuals and organizations have sent comments and critiques this month to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has unveiled a $58.6 million plan to elevate structures in four Rhode Island communities threatened by coastal sea rise.
The proposal would involve elevating the first floors of some 341 structures in Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown and Narragansett. The properties identified as being eligible all are within the 100-year floodplain.
The elevations would range from 12-18 feet, depending on location, with another 0.37 feet tacked on to accommodate sea level rise that could be expected over the next 50 years, according to the report. The style of modification would depend on the structure and its flood zone. Those in the most flood-prone areas, the VE zone, would be placed on concrete piers, according to the report.
Another 46 commercial structures in the four towns, although highly susceptible to flooding, would not be elevated under the plan because their construction doesn’t lend itself to raising. These include metal, concrete and brick buildings.
The financing would be largely borne by the federal government, or $38.1 million. Another $20.5 million would be apportioned to an as-yet unidentified non-federal sponsor. Property owners would be responsible for repair and renovation of the affected structures, and those costs were not included in the total.
The public comment period on the plan closed on Monday. Already, influential critics have emerged. Save The Bay on Tuesday described the coastal storm risk management study as flawed, citing outdated information, inadequate description of the consequences and costs of elevating private homes and inadequate vetting of alternatives.
In a release, the nonprofit environmental advocacy organization said the study used a much lower rate of sea level rise than is anticipated by another federal agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The Army Corps version estimated a 4.4-inch rise over 50 years, according to Save The Bay, versus the 2 feet anticipated by NOAA over the next 32 years.
“This project would represent a significant investment of public funds, and it is irresponsible to not utilize the most current data available,” said Jonathan Stone, Save The Bay’s executive director, in a statement.
In a brief interview Tuesday, project manager Christopher Hatfield indicated the Army Corps has several models for sea level rise under consideration. The 4.4-inch rise was based on historical data, but it also has projections that would be larger, based on more rapid rise.
The agency has received some 50 statements from Rhode Island property owners, public agencies or environmental advocates, he said. Some of the property owners are affected by the study area, others have properties not included. “We’re sifting through a lot of comments, both external and internal,” he said.
The agency will meet soon to determine how to proceed, including answering some of the questions and concerns, he said.
The Army Corps, a federal agency, is authorized to conduct the flood and storm damage studies in areas that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. The study area included a total of 28 miles of coastal area in the four towns, and 4,800 structures, most of them homes.
The total value of the affected properties approaches $600 million, according to the report.

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