Since 2021, Warren has been plotting a “managed retreat” from flood-prone areas. It’s a bold plan state environmental leaders see as a model for other communities.
Dubbed “Market to Metacom,” it calls for voluntary property buyouts over 70 years and the creation of new neighborhoods for displaced residents and businesses.
The town projects that 306 buildings in the low-lying neighborhoods will be underwater by 2100.
As buyouts occur, the plan calls for most structures, local streets and utilities to be removed and wetlands restored.
No one has moved yet, however, and the town has yet to line up money to carry out the ambitious plan.
