Town of Guilford Community Coastal Resilience Plan Report of



TownofGuilford

CommunityCoastalResiliencePlan

ReportofOptionstoIncreaseCoastalResilience 



February2013



Preparedfor



TownofGuilford

50BostonStreet

Guilford,Connecticut06437



InAssociationwith



TheNatureConservancy

55ChurchStreet,3rdFloor

NewHaven,CT06510

And



YaleUniversity

UrbanEcologyandDesignLaboratory

370ProspectStreet,Room101

NewHaven,CT06511



Funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) through Gulf of Maine Council on the

Marine Environment and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council as part of the New England Municipal Resilience

Initiative – Stimulating Innovation and Increasing the Pace of Municipal Responses to Climate Impacts along the Coast.



Preparedby:



Milone&MacBroom,Inc.

99RealtyDrive

Cheshire,Connecticut06410

(203)271‐1773

www.miloneandmacbroom.com



TableofContents

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ExecutiveSummary.................................................................................................................................. ES‐1



1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1



1.1 ReviewofPreviousEfforts ............................................................................................................... 1

1.2 EvolutionofOptionsforCoastalResilience..................................................................................... 2

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2.0 RecentTrendsinAdaptationPlanningandCoastalResilience........................................................ 8

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2.1 CommunitiesinOtherStates........................................................................................................... 8

2.2 ConnecticutCommunities.............................................................................................................. 14



3.0 OutreachandDevelopmentofOptions......................................................................................... 17



3.1 MunicipalOfficials ......................................................................................................................... 17

3.2

PublicParticipation ........................................................................................................................ 18



4.0 DescriptionofPotentialCoastalResilienceOptionsforGuilford.................................................. 20



4.1 ManagementofCoastalRealEstateandStructures ..................................................................... 20

4.2 ShorelineProtectionandManagementofCoastalandNear‐ShoreLands................................... 23

4.3 RoadwayAlterations...................................................................................................................... 26

4.4 ProtectionorReplacementofWaterSupply Wells andSepticSystems ....................................... 27

4.5 CombiningOptions ........................................................................................................................ 30

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Figure

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Figure1 VulnerableandAdaptedCommercialFacilities................................................................ 31

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Appendices



AppendixA PresentationandMeetingMinutes–October10,2012

AppendixB PresentationandMeetingMinutes–November26,2012



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013



ExecutiveSummary



UtilizingTheNatureConservancy’sweb‐basedCoastalResilienceTool,theTownofGuilfordis

undertakingTheNature Conservancy’sCoastalResilienceProgram.Coastalresilienceistheabilityto

resist,absorb,recoverfrom,oradapttocoastalhazardssuchassealevelrise,increasedflooding,and

morefrequentandintensestorm

surges.ThegoaloftheCoastalResilienceProgramistoaddressthe

currentandfuturesocial,economicandecologicalresilienceoftheTownofGuilfordtotheimpactsof

sealevelriseandanticipatedincreasesinthefrequencyandseverityofstormsurge,coastalflooding,

anderosion.Thefourbasic

stepsoftheCoastalResilienceProgramare:



1. Generateawarenessofcoastalrisk(alreadyunderwayandlargel ycomplete);

2. Assesscoastalrisksandopportunities(complete);

3. Identifyoptionsorchoicesforaddressingpriorityrisksandvulnerabilities(currenteffort);and

4. Developandimplementanactionplantoputselectedoptionsorchoicesintoplace(futureeffort).



TheTownhasdraftedthesubjectreportofoptionsforincreasedcoastalresilienceasastep toward

developingaCommunityCoastalResiliencePlan.Thisreporthasbeenfundedthroughagrantfrom

NOAAaspart

oftheNewEnglandMunicipalResilienceInitiative.



Inthecontextofhazards,riskistheproductorthesumofvulnerabilityandfrequency.Inthecontextof

coastalhazards,riskwillchangeovertimebecausethefrequencywillincrease.Coastalstormsare

believedtobeincreasinginfrequency,andflooding

willincreaseinfrequencyassealevelrises.Thus,

evenifcoastalvulnerabilitiesinGuilfordremainstatic,riskswillincrease.Therefore,Guilfordisata

crossroadswithregardtoreducingrisk.Vulnerabilitiescanremainstaticandriskcanincrease,or

vulnerabilitiescanbereducedthroughadaptationtoholdriskat

bay.Ifvulnerabilitiescanbereduced

evenfurther,thanriskscouldbeloweredinthefaceofrisingsealevelandincreasedcoastalstorms,

leadingtoincreasedresilience.



Manycoastalresilienceandadaptationstrategies,measures,andactionshavebeendescribedinthe

climatechangeliteraturesincethelate1980s.Two

decadesago,theprimaryoptionsforadaptation

thatwereconsideredviablewereprotection,retreat,andaccommodation.However,wenow

understandthataccommodationisrarelysustainableinthelongterm,andthatprotectionandretreat

areoverlysimplifiedtermsthatdonotallowforthemanystrategies,measures,andactionscurrently



availabletocommunities.Thesestrategies,measures,andactionshaveevolvedovertimeandcan

typicallybegroupedintoanumberofbroadcategoriesthatareseparatedbytypeofvulnerability

addressedorproposedmethodofimplementation.



ThetownofGuilfordhasorganizeditspreferredadaptationstrategiesintofourcategoriesthat

are

appropriateforthegeography,population,andinfrastructurefoundinGuilford.Thefourcat egories 

andtheirsub‐categoriesarelistedinthefollowingtable.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGEES‐1

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OptionsforCoastalResilienceinGuilford



CategoriesofOptions PossibleOptions

Buildingcodes(freeboard,VzonestandardsinAzones)

Acquisitionofdamagedproperties

Zoningoverlays

Zoningamendments

Managementofcoastalreal

estateandstructures

Coastalrealignmentsthroughanyoftheabove

Hardshorelineprotection

Livingshorelines

Buffersforfloodprotection

Landacquisitionfortidalmarshmigration

Shorelineprotectionand

managementofcoastalandnear‐

shorelands

Landconservationfortidalmarshmigration

Elevationofroadways

Abandonmentofroads

Re‐evaluationofemergencyroutes

Roadwayalterations

Alternateegress

On‐siteretrofitsofsepticsystems

Communitywastewatersystems

Extensionofsewersystem

Individualwatertreatmentsystems

Communitywatersystems

Extensionofwatermains

Protectionorreplacementof

watersupplywellsandseptic

systems

Vacateproperties



Guilford’scoastalneighborhoodsarediverseanditislikelythateachwillbefacedwithacombinationof

vulnerabilitiestosealevelriseandtheincreasedincidenceandseverityofcoastalstorms.A

combinationofadaptationmeasureswillthereforebenecessaryineachneighborhoodinorderto

reducerisksand

increaseresilience.Likewise,neighborhood‐scaleresilienceplanningwilllikelybe

importantinGuilford.Whenthisplanningoccurs,neighborhoods willbeurgedtoevaluate individual

adaptationmeasuresanddeterminehowcomprehensivesolutionscanbedev elopedandimplemented

forbuildingcoastalresilience.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGEES‐2



1.0 INTRODUCTION



1.1 ReviewofPreviousEfforts



UtilizingTheNatureConservancy’sweb‐basedCoastalResilienceTool,theTownofGuilfordis

undertakingTheNature Conservancy’sCoastalResilienceProgram.Coastalresilienceisthe

abilitytoresist,absorb,recoverfrom,oradapttocoastalhazardssuchassealevelrise,

increasedflooding,

andmorefrequentandintensestormsurges.ThegoaloftheCoastal

ResilienceProgramistoaddressthecurrentandfuturesocial,economicandecological

resilienceoftheTownofGuilfordtotheimpactsofsealevelriseandanticipatedincreasesin

thefrequencyandseverityofstormsurge,coastalflooding,

anderosion.



Inthecontextofhazards,riskistheproductor

thesumofvulnerabilityandfrequency.Inthe

contextofcoastalhazards,riskwillchange

overtimebecausethefrequencywillincrease.

Coastalstormsarebelievedtobeincreasingin

frequency,andfloodingwillincreasein

frequencyas

sealevelrises.Thus,evenif

coastalvulnerabilitiesinGuilfordremainstatic,

riskswillincrease.Therefore,Guilfordisata

crossroadswithregardtoreducingrisk.

Vulnerabilitiescanremainstaticandriskcan

increase,orvulnerabilitiescanbereducedto

holdriskatbay.Ifvulnerabilitiescanbe

reducedevenfurther,

thanriskscouldbe

loweredinthefaceofrisingsealeveland

increasedcoastalstorms,leadingtoincreased

resilience.

Thefourbasicstepsofthe“Coastal

ResilienceProgram”are:



1. Generateawarenessofcoastal

risk(alreadyunderwayand

largelycomplete);

2. Assesscoastalrisksand

opportunities(complete);

3. Identifychoicesforaddressing

priorityrisksandvulnerabilities

(currenteffort);and

4. Developandimplementanaction

plantoputselectedchoices

into

place(futureeffort).



AriskandvulnerabilityreportwascompletedinSeptember2012.Guilfordfacesseveralmajor

categoriesofvulnerabilitiestocoastalhazards.Thecategoriesandsomeoftheincluded

vulnerabilitiesareas

follows:



 Social–Residents,businesscommunity,andvisitors.

 Economic–ResidentialProperties,commercial/industrialbusinesses, municipalresources,

tourism,andfuturedevelopment.

 Infrastructure–Roads,bridges,railroads,stormwater,seawalls,tidegates,themarina,and

municipalfacilities.

 Utilities–Publicandprivatewatersupplies,septicsystems,telecommunications,and

electricity.

 EmergencyServices–Fire,police,medical,sheltering,evacuation/egress.

 NaturalSystems–Tidalwetlandsandothercoastallandforms.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE1



Therelativeimportanceofthesevulnerabilitiesvariesbylocation.Someofthenotable

geographicvulnerabilitiesarelisted below:



 BranfordTownLinetoIslandBay–OldQuarryisalreadygrapplingwithincreased

inundationofthemainaccesstosome40homes(OldQuarryRoad).SectionsofRoute146

arethreatened.

 IslandBaytoTrolleyRoad–ShellBeachRoadandresidentialstructuresalongtheroadare

vulnerabletostormsurgesaswellasfuturedailyinundation.HomeslocatedonLeetes

Islandareatriskofisolation.Marshadvancementiscriticalbutmaybechallengingatthe

peripheriesofLeetesMarsh,Great

Harbor,andLostLake.

 TrolleyRoadtoVineyardPoint–SomehomesintheTrolleyRoad,Sachems Head,and

VineyardPointareasarevulnerabletoinundationandstormsurge.

 VineyardPointtoTuttlesPoint–IndianCoveisincreasinglyvulnerabletoalo ss ofegressat

twokeylocations,andTuttlesPointRoadisincreasinglyvulnerabletostormsurgesaswell

asfuturedailyinundation.

 TuttlesPointtoGuilfordPoint–LikeOldQuarryRoad,ChaffinchIslandRoadisalready

sufferingfromfrequentflooding.ImportantfacilitiessuchasBrown’sBoatYard,Guilford

BoatYard,andtheGuilfordYachtClubarevulnerabletoinundationandstormsurge.

 GuilfordPointtoMadisonTownLine–Jacob’sBeachisvulnerabletoerosionwhereas

homesalongSeasideAvenuearevulnerabletoinundationandstormsurges.TheTown

marinaandthestate’sEastRiverBoatLauncharecriticalfacilitiesthatarehighlyvulnerable

giventheirwaterfrontlocations.

 GuilfordCenterandTownCenterSouth–Severalimportanteconomicareasarevulnerable

suchascommercialplazasalongtheBostonPostRoad,theSoundviewRoad

commercial/industrialarea,andtheWhitfieldStreetcorridor.

 UpperEastRiver–Althoughlandisvulnerabletoflooding,theEastRiverestuaryisakey

areaofinterestforidentifyingfuturezonesformarshmigration.



1.2 EvolutionofOptionsforCoastalResilience



TheIntergovernmentalPanelOnClimateChange(IPCC)publishedthelandmarkpaper

“StrategiesforAdaptationtoSea

LevelRise”in1990.Theprefacestatesthat“Thisreport

representsthefirstsurveyonaglobalscaleofadaptiveoptionsforcoastalareasinresponseto

apossibleaccelerationofsealevelriseandtheimplicationsoftheseoptions.”Thiswasoneof

theearliestreportstolistthe

threetraditionalcategoriesofadaptation“toprotecthumanlife

andProperty.”Threebasictypesofadaptationwerepresentedinthereport.Thefollowing

descriptionsofthesethreetypesofadaptationaretakenfromthereport:



 Retreatinvolvesnoefforttoprotectthelandfromthesea.Thecoastalzoneisabandoned

andecosystemsshiftlandward.Thischoicecanbemotivatedbyexcessiveeconomicor

environmentalimpactsofprotection.Intheextremecase,anentireareamaybe

abandoned.

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 Accommodationimpliesthatpeoplecontinuetousethelandatriskbutdonotattemptto

preventthelandfrombeingflooded.Thisoptionincludeserectingemergencyflood

shelters,elevatingbuildingsonpiles,convertingagriculturetofishfarming,orgrowingflood

orsalttolerantcrops.



 Protectioninvolveshardstructuressuchasseawallsanddikes,aswellassoftsolutionssuch

asdunesandvegetation,toprotectthelandfromtheseasothatexistinglandusescan

continue.



“Mitigation”vs.“Adaptation”



Inthecontextofclimatechange

science,“mitigation”referstoefforts

todecreasegreenhousegas

emissionswhereas“adaptation”

referstoeffortstoadapttothe

effectsofclimatechange.However,

inthecontextofdisasterresilience,

“mitigation”referstolong‐term

effortstoreducetheeffectsof

disasters.Thus,elementsofa

community’shazardmitigationplan

maybesimilartoelementsofa

community’sclimate

adaptation

plan.

BeforethepublicationoftheIPCCpaper,James

TituswiththeU.S.EPAbeganauthoringandco

‐

authoringaseriesofpapersaboutadaptingto

sealevelriseandcoastalhazards.Thefollowing

isalistofsomeofthepapersbyTitusandhis

colleagues:



 Planningforsealevelrisebeforeandafter

coastaldisaster(1984).

 Greenhouseeffect,sealevelrise,andcoastal

zonemanagement(1986).

 Greenhouseeffect,sealevelrise,andcoastal

drainagesystem(1987)

 Greenhouseeffect,sealevelrise,andcoastal

wetlands(1988)

 Anoverviewofstudiesestimatingthe

nationwidecostofholdingbackthesea

(1989)

 AnoverviewoftheNationwideImpactsofSeaLevelRise(1989)

 Greenhouseeffect,sealevelrise,andbarrierislands:CasestudyofLongBeachIsland,New

Jersey(1990)

 Greenhouseeffect,sealevelrise,andwetlandpolicy:HowAmericanscouldabandonan

areathesizeofMassachusettsatminimumcost(1991)

 GreenhouseEffectandSeaLevelRise:TheCostofHoldingBacktheSea(1991)

 RisingSeas,CoastalErosion,andtheTakingsClause: HowtoSaveWetlandsandBeaches

WithoutHurtingPropertyOwners (1998)



Manyofthesepapersdiscussedpossibleoptionsthatfellintothethreetraditionalcategoriesof

adaptation.Someofthepapersfocusedonspecificvulnerabilitiessuchasdrainagesystemsand

wetlands,whilesome

developedcostestimatesfortakingactionornottakingaction.



In2002,asummaryoftransportation‐relateddiscussionswaspublishedinthereport“The

PotentialImpactsofClimateChangeonTransportation.”Thereportdiscussedtheparticular

vulnerabilitiesassociatedwithroads,airports,andothertransportationsystemsandnetworks.

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Adaptationmethodssuchaselevatingroads,protectingsystemswithdikes,andretreatwere

discussed.



Thereport“BracingforClimateChangeintheConstitution State”waspublishedby

EnvironmentalDefensein2004.Thisreportincludedabriefsectiononadaptation.Hard

solutions,softsolutions,andretreatwerementionedbutnotexplored

indepth.Thereport

notedthatthetimewasripefordevelopingspecificmethodsofadaptationinConnecticut.



In2010,NOAA’sOfficeofOceanandCoastalResourceManagementpublishedthemanual

“AdaptingtoClimateChange:APlanningGuideforStateCoastalManagers.”Chapter5is

dedicatedtoadiscussionof

adaptationstrategiesandmethods.Accordingtothemanual,

NOAA’ssevencategoriesof“ClimateChangeAdaptationMeasures”andtheirsub‐categories

are:



ImpactIdentificationandAssessment

 ResearchandDataCollection–Predictpossiblesocialandeconomiceffectsofclimate

changeoncommunities.Calculatecost‐to‐benefitratiosofpossibleadaptationmeasures.

Encourageadaptationplansthataretailoredtospecificindustries.

 Monitoring–Acomprehensivemonitoringprogramthatincorporatesmultipletoolsand

considersavarietyofsystemsandprocessescanprovideinputtothevulnerability

assessmentandadaptationstrategy.

 ModelingandMapping–Mapwhichareasaremoreorlesssusceptibletosealevelrisein

ordertoprioritizemanage mentefforts.



AwarenessandAssistance

 OutreachandEducation–Createscie ntificfactsheetsaboutclimatechangeaddressing

communitymembers,visitors,electedofficials,businesses andindustries.Usemultiple

formsofcommunicationsuchasnewsmedia,radio,brochures,communitymeetings,social

networks,blogsandwebsites.

 RealEstateDisclosure–Thedisclosureofaproperty’svulnerabilitytocoastalhazards

enablespotentialbuyerstomakeinformeddecisionsreflectingthelevelofimpactstheyare

willingandabletoaccept.

 FinancialandTechnicalAssistance–Providefloodinsurancediscountsforpropertiesthat

exceedfloodproofingstandardsbyoneortwofeet.Encouragehazardmitigationby

providinggrantstoareasthatimplementadaptationmeasures.



GrowthandDevelopmentManagement

 Zoning–Zoningcanbeusedtoregulateparceluse,densityofdevelopment,building

dimensions,setbacks,typeofconstruction,shoreprotectionstructures,landscaping,etc.It

canalsobeusedtoregulatewheredevelopmentcanandcannottakeplace,makingitan

invaluabletoolineffortstoprotectnaturalresourcesandenvironmentally

sensitiveareas

andguidedevelopmentawayfromhazard‐proneareas.

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 RedevelopmentRestrictions–Combiningrestrictionswithacquisition/demolition/relocation

programsprovidessaferoptionstopropertyownersinthewakeofthelossofordamageto

theirhomesorbusinesses.

 ConservationEasements–Aconservationeasementisalegalagreementbetweena

landownerandalandtrustorgovernmentagencythatcanbeusedtorestrictdevelopment

insensitiveandhazard‐proneareas.

 CompactCommunityDesign–Thehighdensitydevelopmentsuggestedbycompact

communitydesigncanallowformoreopportunitiestoguidedevelopmentawayfrom

sensitiveandhazard‐proneareas.



LossReduction

 Acquisition,Demolition,andRelocation–Themosteffectiveway toreducelossesisto

acquirehazard‐proneproperties,bothlandandstructures,demolishorrelocatestructures,

andrestrictallfuturedevelopmentontheland.

 Setbacks–Setbackscanprotectstructuresfromhazardsbykeepingthestructuresaway

fromaproperty’smostvulnerableareas.

 BuildingCodes–Buildingcodesthatregulate design,construction,andlandscapingofnew

structurescanimprovetheabilityofstructuresinhazard‐proneareastowithstandhazard

events.

 Retrofitting–Existingstructurescanbeprotectedfromhazardsthroughretrofitting.

 InfrastructureProtection–Infrastructureprotectionentailsfortificationagainsttheimpacts

ofclimatechange.

 ShoreProtectionStructures–Shoreprotectionstructuresprotectexistingdevelopment

allowingittostayinplace.Theyoftendamageordestroyothervaluablecoastalresources

andcreateafalsesenseofsecurity;neverthelessinsomecases,forthepurposesof

protectingexistingdevelopment,theremaybenootheracceptableorpractical

options.



ShorelineManagement

 RegulationandRemovalofShoreProtectionStructures–Toprotectthenaturalshoreline

andthebenefitsitprovides,regulationscanbeusedtolimi tshorelinehardeningaswellas

promotealternativeformsofprotection.

 RollingEasements–Rolling easementsareshorelineeasementsdesignedtopromotethe

naturalmigrationofshorelines.Typically,rollingeasementsprohibitshoreprotection

structureswhichinterferewithnaturalshorelineprocessesandmovement,butallowother

typesofdevelopmentandactivities.Asthesearises,theeasementmovesor“rolls”

landward,wetlandmigration

occurs,andpublicaccesstotheshoreispreserved.

 LivingShorelines–Livingshorelinescanbeeffectivealternativestoshoreprotection

structuresineffortstorestore,protect, andenhancethenaturalshorelineandits

environment.Livingshorelinesusestabilizationtechniquesthatrelyonvegetative

plantings,organicmaterials,andsandfillorahybridapproachcombiningvegeta tive

plantingswithlowrock

sillsorlivingbreakwaterstokeepsedimentinplaceorreducewave

energy.



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 BeachNourishment–Beachnourishmentistheprocessofplacingsandonaneroding

beach,typicallymakingithigherandwider,toprovideabufferagainstwaveactionand

flooding.

 DuneManagement–Dunesmayberestoredorcreatedinconjunctionwithabeach

nourishmentprojectormaybemanage daspartofaseparateeffort.

 SedimentManagement–Dredgingandplacingsediment,buildingshoreprotection

structuresandotherstructuresthattrapordivertsediment.



CoastalEcosystemManagement

 EcologicalBufferZones–Ecologicalbuffersaresimilartosetbacks(andmaybeincluded

withinsetbacks)butaretypicallydesignedtoprotectthenaturalenvironmentbyproviding

atransitionzonebetweenaresourceandhumanactivities.

 OpenSpacePreservationandConservation–Openspacepreservationandconservationcan

beaccomplishedthroughthemanagementoflandsdedicatedasopenspacethrougha

numberofthemeasurespreviouslydiscussed,suchaszoning,redevelopmentrestrictions,

acquisition,easements,setbacks,andbuffers.

 EcosystemProtectionandMaintenance–Inthecontextofcoastaladaptation,ecosystem

protectionlargelyinvolvestheprotectionoftidalwe tlandsandotherecosystems.The

facilitationofwetlandmigrationisanimportantaspectofthis.

 EcosystemRestoration,Creation,andEnhancement–Similartotheabove,ecosystem

restorationandcreationcanreplacetidalwetlandsthatarelosttosealevelrise.



WaterResourceManagementandProtection

 StormwaterManagement–Drainagesystemsmaybeill‐equippedtohandletheamountof

stormwaterrunoffthatwillaccompanythemoreintenserainfalleventsexpectedinthe

future,andthoseinlow‐lyingareaswillbefurtherchallengedbylossesinelevation

attributedtorisingsealevels.

 WaterSupplyManagement–Climatechangewillnegativelyaffectbothwaterquantityand

quality,andcoastalpopulationswillcontinuetogrow,sowatersupplymanagersmustbe

preparedtorespondtoassociatedchallengestowatersupply.



Elementsofprotection,retreat,andaccommodationarefoundinseveralofthesecategories

and

sub‐categoriesofadaptation.Forexample,GrowthandDevelopmentManagementactions

canbeusedtomanageretreatoraccommodation,whereasShorelineManagementmayinclude

methodsofprotectionaswellasremovingprotection.NOAAnotesthattheseadaptation

measuresareorganizedintocategoriesthatdescribetheirprimarypurpose,butinmanycases,



theyservemultiplepurposesandcouldfitintomultiplecategories(e.g.,acquisitioncouldfit

underGrowthandDevelopmentManagement,CoastalandMarineEcosystemManagement,

andShorelineManagementinadditiontoLossReduction).



TheEPApublication“RollingEasements”(Titus,2011)providesthemostcurrentcomprehensive

descriptionofrollingeasementsandall

theadaptationmeasuresfoundinthisbroadcollection

oftechniques.AsnotedbyTitusinthispublication,accommodationisviableinmany

communities,butnolongerconsidere dsustainableforthelongterm;eventuallyprotectionor



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

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

retreatwillbethedefault.Thisisanimportantconceptbecausecommunitieswillneedto

understandthatthereisalimittohowfarintothefutureaccommodationwillbepractical.

Manyoftherecentandcurrenttrendsin adaptationplanning(circa2008tothepresent)appear

tobetakingthis

intoaccount.Recentplanningeffortsaredescribedinthenextchapter.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE7

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2.0 RecentTrendsinAdaptationPlanningandCoastalResilience



2.1 CommunitiesinOtherStates



ThemostprogressiveadaptationandcoastalresilienceplanningintheUnitedStatesappearsto

beoccurringinthemid‐Atlanticregionwheresomeofthemostsignificanteffectsofsealevel

riseareanticipated.Activeplanning

isalsotakingplaceinFloridacommunities. TwoMaryland

counties,oneDelawarecommunity,andoneFloridacountyaredescribedbelow.



SomersetCounty,Maryland



TheStateofMarylandhasbeenencouraginglocalcommunitiestoplanforsealevelrisefora

decadeorlonger.SomersetCountypreparedits“RisingSeaLevelGuidance”in2008usinga

grantfromtheMarylandDepartmentofNaturalResources.Thecounty’spopulationis

approximately25,000andmuchofthe

countyliesataverylowelevationalongChesapeake

Bay.Recommendationsoftheguidancearewide‐reachingandincludethefollowing:



 Recognizeincreasedfloodingthrough2050byadoptinga“floodplainplanning zone”that

usestheyear2050projectedinundationareaasboundary.

 Re‐delineatethelandwardboundaryofConservationZonetocoincidewith the2050

inundationareaandreducethealloweddensity.

 Requirebuildingsinfloodplainstobeonhigherfoundations(twofeetoffreeboardis

recommended).

 AdoptCoastalVZonerequirementsinareaswherewavesmaybe1.5feetorhigher,instead

ofjustwherewavesexceedthreefeet.

 Modifyon‐sitesepticrequirementstoanticipateimpairedperformanceaswatertablelevels

rise,forexample:

o Forundevelopedlotswithinthepredicted2050inundationareathatmeetcurrent

‘adequatetreatmentzone’(2to4feetdepthtoaquifer)andnormalsepticfield

testing,requiresiteplanstodesignatefuturelocation

forretrofitsystem(moundor

holdingtank).

o Requireholdingtankstobedesignedforbuoyancyconditionsbasedon2050

inundationdepths.

o Require,onlotswhereexistingsepticsystemsarefailing,installationofmound

systemsortanks.

o Withinthepredicted2050inundationarea,requireproposedcentralpackage

treatment

systemstobedesignedandinstalledtorecognizeanticipatedflooding

andgroundwaterconditions.

 Requireplanningforcertainroadstoanticipatemorefrequentflooding,forexample:

o Basedonthetypicalproblemsexperiencedbyroadsinlow‐lyingareasthatare

frequentlyinundated,identifyrequirementsforelevatedroadsorforlowwater

crossings(i.e.,designthemtobelowtoavoidblockingdrainage,butrequire

owners

toacknowledgeaccesslimitations).

o Requiremoreunderdrains/crossdrainstoallowfordrainage.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE8

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o Forelevatedroads,iftheintentistoimprovebeddingasgroundwaterlevelsrise,

removalofmoreunsuitablematerialtobeartheplacementofthickerfill materials

mayberequired.

o DevelopsitecharacteristicsthatwillbeusedbytheCountytodeterminewhere

elevatedroadbedswillberequired.



 Requirestream/tributarybuffersorconservationeasements.

 Recognizethatwetlandswillmigrateinland,groundwaterlevelswillrise,andsaltwater

intrusionwillincrease.

 Anticipatethatsomebuildingswillberelocated,elevatedonhigherfoundations,or

abandoned.



TherecommendationsforfreeboardandapplyingVzonestandardsincoastalAzonesare

progressivebuthavebeencitedintheliteratureformanyyears.SomersetCounty’sre‐

delineationoftheConservationZoneandpotentialadoptionofa

floodplainplanningzone 

basedonafutureinundationarea(inthiscase,theyear2050)isveryforward‐thinkingand

demonstratesthatitmaybepossibleforconsensustoemergearoundselectingaplanning

horizontomakedecisions.Thecounty’srecommendationsforsepticsystemsandroadsare

verydetailed(relative

totherecommendationstypicallyseenforsepticsystemsandroads)and

demonstrateathoroughunderstandi ngoftheproblemsthatwillbefacedbythesesystems.



DorchesterCounty,Maryland



DorchesterCountypreparedits“SeaLevelRiseTechnicalGuidanceforDorchesterCounty”in

2008usingagrantfromtheMarylandDepartmentof NaturalResourcesandNOAA.The

county’spopulationisapproximately33,000andmuchofthecountyliesataverylowelevation

alongChesapeakeBay.Thecornerstoneofthe

technicalguidanceisthereco mmendationto

adoptaSeaLevelRise(SLR)OverlayDistrictusinga25‐yearhighinundationscenarioas

boundary.Ataminimum,thefollowingwouldbepursuedintheoverlaydistrict:



 Prohibitnewsubdivisions

 Prohibitexpansionoffootprintsonexistingdevelopedlots

 Restrictmajorrenovationsofstructurestocosmeticrepairs,re‐roofing,andreplacementof

appliances

 Prohibituseofbermedinfiltrationpondsfordevelopmentonunimprovedlots

 Restrictsepticdisposalfacilitiestostateoftheartfacilitieswhoseintegritywouldnotbe

compromisedbystormsurge

 Requireallnewandexistingwell heads toberaisedabovethebasefoodelevationplusa

heighttoaccommodatewaveactiononstormsurge

 Requireaminimumtwo‐footfreeboardabovebasefloodelevation

 Untilfederalagenciescanupdatetheirmaps,assumethe100‐yearfloodelevationtobe

equivalenttotheCategoryTwostormsurgeelevation,whichwillvarydependingonthe

waterway

 Providefortheclosureofinundatedroadswhereanalternaterouteexists



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE9



 Providefortheterminationofmaintenanceforroadsthatserveonlyafewoccupied

residences

 Providefortheterminationofmaintenanceonroadswherethecosttomaintainexceeds

theFairMarketValueofthepropertiesitserves

 InitiateparticipationintheNFIPCommunityRatingSystem;implementprovisionsforabuy‐

outprogram

 Identifypropertiesforpotentialbuy‐out.Ranktheminorderoflevelofimmediaterisk.

 Assesslossesforestandidentifyreforestationsitesoutsidethesealevelriskzone

 Assesswetlandlossesandidentifysuitableareastoaccommodatesealevelencroachment

andconversiontonewwetlands

 StronglyparticipatewithCorpsofEngineersprojectstorestoreand/orcreatebarrierislands

whichactasbufferstothewetlandsandmainlandbehindthem.

 ProhibitinvestmentonnewinfrastructureintheSLRDistrict

 Abandon,relocate,raise,orsealanyinfrastructurethatwillsustaindamagebyinundation



SimilartoSomersetCounty,DorchesterCounty’sadoptionofaSLRoverlaydistrictbasedona

futureinundationarea(inthiscase,the25‐yearscenario)isveryforward‐thinking.Thethree

recommendedactionstoaddressroadsandthe

recommendationto“prohibitinvestmenton

newinfrastructureintheSLRDistrict”demonstratethatthecountyisseriousaboutdecreasing

expendituresoninfrastructurethatisincreasinglyvulnerable.



Whilethecountyunderstandsthatitszoningandsubdivisioncodeswouldbeusedformuchof

theabove,twoadditionalchaptersofthecode

arenotedaspotentiallyusefulinthecounty’s

adaptationplanning:



 Chapter80:EconomicDevelopmentDepartment.Thissectionallowsthedepartmentto

assistbusinessesinstrategicplanningthatwouldlaythegroundworkforfutureeconomic

development;tohelpcompaniesimprovetheiroperations;aidinsitesearches;and,assist

inrevitalization.Theguidancedocumentnotesthatthisde partment’sactivitiescouldbe

expandedto

workwithcompaniesinsealevelriskareastowardrelocationefforts.



 Chapter96:ForestConservationStandards.Thissectioncontainsprovisionsthatspeakto

thepreferenceforpreservationofhabitattypes,priorityforplantingsiteselection,andthe

establishmentofamitigationbank.Theguidancedocumentnotesthatthesecodesmaybe

amendedtoincludespecificprovisionsforforesthabitatthatwouldmanage

thelevelof

groundwater,serveasprotectivebufferstosaltmarshesandnon‐tidalwetlands,and

prohibitionofforestharvestonareaswithhighwatertablesthatlieadjacenttosaltmarsh.



Lewes,Delaware



TheCityofLewesparticipatedwithanumberofstakeholdersinthedevelopmentofthe“Cityof

LewesHazardMitigationandClimateAdaptationActionPlan.”Theplanwaspublishedin2011

andservesasaunifiedhazardmitigationplanand climateadaptationplan.Thecityisrelatively



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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

smallatapopulationof2,700,butitsometimesincreasesto10,000inthesummerduetothe

city’slocationonDelawareBay.



Baseduponresultsofsignificantpublicparticipationandarankingexercise,aswellasadditional

inputfromrelevantCityboardsanddepartments,thefollowingarethesix

actions

recommendedforimplementation:



 Incorporateclimatechangeconcernsintothecomprehensiveplanandintofuturereviews

ofthebuildingandzoningcodes.

 Improveoutreachandeducationparticularlyfocusedonsuccessfulbehaviorchanges

relatedtohomebuildingandretrofits.

 Ensurethataquiferinformationisintegratedintoallplanningefforts.

 Useelevationdatatodetermineroadlevelsandevacuationrisk.

 EvaluatetheCityandtheBoardofPublicWorks(BPW)infrastructure'sfloodvulnerability

fromdirectfloodimpacts,aswellasfromindirectfloodimpactstoaccessroutes.

 ImprovetheCity’slevelofparticipationinthecommunityratingsystem(CRS).



TheLewesplanfocusesonprovidingguidanceforimplementation.Severalcategoriesof

implementationaredescribed:



 InclusionintoPlanningand ZoningStrategies

 EducationandOutreachStrategy

 AquiferInformationIntegrationStrategy

 EvacuationRouteAssessmentStrategy

 InfrastructureAnalysisStrategy

 CRSStrategy



Amongthesixactionsandthesiximplementationstrategies,thefollowingtypesof

recommendationsareincludedintheplan:



 Amendthezoningcodetorequirefree board, createstrictfloodproofingrequirementsfor

criticalfacilities,prohibitexpansionsofbuildingsinfloodzones,andcreatefloodplain

setbacks

 IncreasestandardsintheFloodplain,Drainage,Stormwater,andErosion/Sedi mentControl

sectionsofZoningCode

 Providefinancialincentivestobuildabovecode

 Allocatefundstocapi talimprovements

 Considerstormwaterutility

 Considerabeachnourishmenttaxdistrict

 Createbufferszonesformarshmigration



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

LeeCounty,Florida



TheSouthwestFloridaRegionalPlanningCouncilpreparedthe“LeeCountyClimateChange

ResiliencyStrategy(CCRS)in2010.Ratherthatprovidingarankedorprioritizedlistof

strategies,thereportliststhefollowingpossiblestrategiesthatcanbeusedacrossall

departmentsandplanningprocesses:



 Addressclimatechangeimpactsinplansforworkingwaterfronts.

 Strengthenbuildingcodesincoastalareastoprovideadditionalprotectionforproperties

fromwindandstormsurges.

 Adoptsoftdefensestrategies,suchasestablishingaquaticvegetationbeds,usingnaturalor

artificialbreakwaters,andbeachnourishment,whereappropriate(forexample,shorelines

thataremoreundevelopedandwhereaseawallwouldinhibitwetlandmigrationand

damagenaturaldefensesystems).

 Allowcoastalwetlandstomigrateinlandinareasexplicitlyindicated.

 Allowshorelinehardeningwhereappropriate.

 Allowbeachnourishmentwhereappropriate.

 Changetheplacementanddesignofinfrastructure(forexample,forwatersupply,

wastewatertreatment,powerplantsandotherutilities,andtransportation).

 Conservelandincoastalareasbyremovingorlimitingdevelopmentpotentialthrough

acquisition,conservationeasements,andthepurchaseandtransferofdevelopmentrights.

 Considersealevelriseininfrastructureplanning.

 Considersealevelriseinsitedesign.

 Constrainlocationsforcertainhighriskinfrastructure.

 Constructgroinsinappropriateareas.

 Createaregionalsedimentmanagementplan.

 Createdunestoprotectshorelines.

 Createmarsh.

 Createnaturalbuffersagainstsealevelrise.

 Designnewcoastaldrainagesystems.

 Developandadoptbuildingdesigncriteriatodealwiththeconsequencesofpossiblesea

levelrise.

 Ensureappropriatefoundationsforbuildings. 

 Establishearlywarningsitesandbaselinedata.

 Establishrollingeasementstomaintainsedimenttransport.

 Expandplanninghorizons.

 Improvelanduseandmanagement.

 ExplicitlyindicateintheLeeCountyComprehe nsive Planswhichareaswillretainnatural

shorelines.

 Fortifydikes.

 Identify,protectandadaptprotectionsofecologicallyimportantareas/criticalhabitat.

 Improvefloodpainmanagement/regulation.



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

 Incorporatewetlandprotectionintoinfrastructureplanningdata.

 Increaseshorelinesetbacksandexchange/purchase/acquisition.

 Landexchangeprograms.

 Encourageuseoflivingshorelinesinresidential,commercialandinstitutionalproperties.

 Managerealignmentofinfrastructure.

 Prepareformorefrequentstormeventswithassociatederosion.

 Encouragenaturalbreakwaters where appropriate.

 Plantsubmergedaquaticvegetationandothervegetation.

 Prohibitdevelopmentorengineering"solutions"toblockmigrationofwetlands.

 Prohibitdevelopmentsubsidies(federalfloodinsuranceandinfrastructuredevelopment

grants)toestuarineandcoastalshoresathighrisk.

 Promotewetlandaccretionbyintroducingsedimentandprohibitinghardshoreprotection.

 Protectbarrierislandsthatshelterbeaches.

 Protectandrestorenaturaldefensessuchassaltmarshes,sanddunes,andnatural

vegetation.

 Purchaseuplanddevelopmentrightsorpropertyrights.

 Redefinefloodhazardzones.

 Regulatepumpingnearshorelines,especiallyforfloodcontrol.

 Removehardprotectionorotherbarrierstoshorelineretreatandreplaceshoreline

armoringwithlivingshorelineprotections.

 Replicatehabitattypesinmultiplelocationstospreadrisks.

 Restrict/prohibitdevelopmentinerosion/flood/damageproneareas.

 Relocatestructuresawayfromvulnerable/affectedshoreline.

 Retreatfromand/orabandonshoreheadlandcontrol.

 Retrofitroadsandbridges,whichmayi nvolverebuildingroadsandbridgesathigher

elevationsanddevelopingengineeringtechniquesthatallowthemtofloatorwithstand

flooding.

 Revisingportmasterplanstoreflecttheimpactofsea‐levelrise.

 Useintegratedcoastalzonemanagement.

 Usenaturalandartificialbreakwaterstoreducewaveenergy.

 Wetlandconservation/restorationaccountingforclimatechangeandhumanengineering

suchascanals,floodgates,levees,etc.



LeeCountypreparedacostcomparisonforfivedifferentmethodsofadaptation.Table1

providestheestimates.



Table1

ComparisonofRelativeCostsforVariousAdaptations



Alternative EstimatedCost

(Billions)

Rollingconservationeasements(purchased) $1.8to$1.4

Bulkheadwithfillto4feet $40.6

Gradualsandfillingtokeeppace $2.8



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

Elevatinginfrastructure $36.5

Armoreddikewithpumpingstations $41.0



Theappendixoftheplanprovidesadditionalcostestimatesthatmaybehelpful.Unitcostsare

providedfordifferentkindsofseawalls,bulkheads, riprapbanks,andgabionboxesalongthe

waterfront.Unitcostsvaryfrom$60to$800perlinearfoot.



Ingeneral,theLeeCountyplanlacksthespecificity

ofrecommendationsthattheSomerset

County,DorchesterCounty,andCityofLewesplansprovided.However,thecostestimatesare

helpfulforunderstandinghowdifferentoptionsmaycomparetooneanother.



2.2 ConnecticutCommunities



TownofGroton



AnumberofcommunitiesinConnecticutareundergoingcoastalresilienceplanningatthesame

time.Forexample,theTownofGrotonparticipatedinanEPA‐fundedclimatechangeplanning

processin2010and2011.Theprocessresultedinthereport“PreparingforClimateChangein

Groton,Connecticut:AModelProcess

forCommunitiesintheNortheast”(April2011).During

theworkshopsheldinGroton,workshopparticipantsidentifiedthefollowingas climaterelated

impactslikelytoaffectGroton:



 Morefrequentriverandcoastalflooding;

 Increasedcoastalerosion;

 Increasedprecipitation,flooding,drought,anderosion;

 MorefrequentfloodingthatcouldpreventaccesstoandreducefunctionofGroton‐New

LondonAirport;

 AccesstostateparkssuchasBluffPointandHaleyFarmcouldbehamperedbyflooding;

 Docksandmarinafacilitiescouldbedamagedbyfloodingandsealevelrise;

 Increasedeconomicimpactsrelatedtoinfrastructurereplacements,lossofemployment

hours,additionalemergencyservicepersonnel,andothersarisingfromnoactionscenarios;

 SectionsofAmtrakrailroadcouldfloodundercertainsealevelriseandstormflooding

scenarios;

 MysticRiverbridgemayexperienceadditionalopeningsforsmallerboatsasbridge

clearancediminisheswithsealevelrise;

 Overallqualityoflife,aesthetics,andenjoymentofcitizensmaybereduced.



NumerousadaptationstrategiesweredevelopedbyworkshopparticipantsinGroton:



 Relocate/Elevatevulnerableroadsandinfrastructure–ensureemergencyaccessand

preservationofpublicsafetyduringextremeevents;

 DevelopMemorandumsofUnderstandingwithstatepersonnelregardingfundingoflocal

policecostsincurredtoprotectsafetyalongvulnerablestateownedroadinfrastructure

duringandafterstorm,sothatpolicecanalsomonitorotherhazardousareas;



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

 Stormwaterrunoffreductionprogramdesignedtocontrolpeakdischargesandtorequire

post‐developmentratesofrunofftobenogreaterth anpre‐developmentconditionsin

mostcircumstances;

 Flood‐proofingofexistingbuildings;

 Conversionoflanduprivertowetlandsinordertoaccommodateincreasedsealevelrise;

 Creationofincentivesforretreatzoningand/orzoningandredevelopmentrestrictionsand

buildingcodechangesorenforcementtopreventbuildinginthemostvulnerablelocations;

 Educationalprogramsthatalertresidentsaboutclimatechangeandvulnerableareasofthe

Town;

 PurchaseofvulnerablelandorlandthatwillactasabufferbyGroton;

 Morestringentbuildingandengineeringdesignstandardsthatanticipatefutureclimate

conditions,asopposedtojustexistingconditions;

 Beachnourishment;

 Installationofflood/tidegatesatlocationssuchasGrotonLongP ointandMumfordCove;

 Creationofacomprehensivewatershedmanagementplanfordebrisandculverts,in

partnershipwithAmtrakandCTDOT;

 Improvedroadconditionreportsduringextremeevents,inordertohelptheschooldistrict

andotheragenciestoidentifythesafesttransportationroutes;

 IdentificationofTown,State,andFederalfundingavailabletomaketheimprovementsto

infrastructurethatisdeemedhighlyvulnerable;

 Integrateclimateprepare dnessintotheCapitalPlanningprocess,MasterPlan of

ConservationandDevelopmentupdateprocess,thezoningregulationsrevision,and

streetscapeproject;and

 Investigatethelogisticalchallengesofincorporatingclimatechange,adaptation,and

preparednessintoschoolcurriculum.



Whilemanyofthestrategiesmaybeviable,someoftheminvolvecomprehensiveplanningand

willbeincorporatedintothePlanofConservationandDevelopmentandtheMunicipalCoastal

Program.Othersarerelatedtofundingmechanismsand

planning.



TownofOldSaybrook



TheTownofOldSaybrookadoptedchangestoitsZoningRegulationsin2012thatwere

moderateintermsoftextinvolvedyetveryprogressiveforaConnecticutcommunity.Quite

simply,theseamendmentsrequireonefootoffreeboardandtheapplicationofVzone

standardsincoastalAzones.Therevised

OldSaybrookFloodplainManagementOrdinancenow

statesthefollowing:



 Section2.9:“VEZonefloodplainconstructionstandardsareappliedtodevelopment,new

constructionandsubstantialimprovementsintheCoastalAEZone.”

 Section2.26:“ThefloodplaindevelopmentandconstructionstandardsforVEZoneswillbe

appliedintheCoastalAEZone.”



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE15



 Section5.3.1:“Newconstructionorsubstantialimprovementofanyresidentialstructure

shallhavethelowestfloor,includingbasement,elevatedatleastonefootabovethebase

floodelevation.”

 Section5.3.2.1:Newconstructionorsubstantialimprovementofanycommercial,industrial,

ornon‐residentialstructurelocatedinZoneAorAE,shallhavethelowestfloor,including

basement,elevatedatleastonefootabovethebasefloodelevation;or

 Section5.3.2.2:Non‐residentialstructureslocatedinallAandAEzonesmaybedryflood‐

proofedatleastonefootabovethebasefloodelevationinlieuofbeingelevatedprovided

thattogetherwithallattendantutilitiesandsanitaryfacilitiestheareasofthestructure 

belowtherequiredelevationare

watertightwithwallssubstantiallyimpermeabletothe

passageofwater,andusestructuralcomponentshavingthecapabilityofresisting

hydrostaticandhydrodynamicloadsandtheeffectsofbuoyancy.

 Section5.3.4.2:Allbuildingsorstructures[incoastalhighhazardareas]shallbeelevatedso

thatthelowestsupportinghorizontalmemberisloca tednolowerthanonefootabovethe

basefloodelevationandwithallspacebelowthelowestsupportinghorizontalmemb er

opensoasnottoimpedetheflow

ofwater,exceptforbreakawaywallsasdefinedin

Section2.7.

 Section5.3.7.1:Newconstructionofcriticalfacilitiesshallbeelevatedordryfloodproofed

toonefootabovethebasefloodelevation(100‐yearfloodelevation).



AlthoughfreeboardcanbefoundinotherConnecticutcommunities,theapplicationofVzone

standardsincoastalAzonesisnottypicallyfoundinConnecticut.

OldSaybrookprovidesan

excellentmodelforothercoastalcommunitiesinConnecticu t.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE16



3.0 OutreachandDevelopmentofOptions



3.1 MunicipalOfficialsandCommissions



TheTownofGuilfordmunicipaldepartmentheadsandcommissionchairpersonsmeton

October10,2012tohearapresentationofthemanyadaptationmethodsdescribedinthe

publicationslistedinSection1.2and2.0.NOAA’ssixcategoriesofadaptation

measureswere

usedastheframeworkforthepresentation.ThethreeexamplesfromMarylandandDelaware

communitiesweredescribedaswell.Thegoalofthemeetingwastoeducateattendeesabout

allthevariousoptionsthatareavailableratherthan focusonagroupofoptions.Attendees

included:



...............................................................................................................................................................................................G

eorgeKral–GuilfordTownPlanner

...............................................................................................................................................................................................K

evinMagee–GuilfordEnvironmentalPlanner

...............................................................................................................................................................................................H

ankGraver–Chairman,GuilfordMarinaCommission

...............................................................................................................................................................................................B

rianMcGlone–GuilfordEconomicDevelopmentCoordinator

...............................................................................................................................................................................................R

ickMaynard–GuilfordParksandRecreationDirector

...............................................................................................................................................................................................M

arkDamiani–GuilfordAssistantTownEngineer

...............................................................................................................................................................................................W

illiamThody–GuilfordBuildingOfficial

...............................................................................................................................................................................................M

aryJoKestner–PlanofConservationandDevelopmentCommittee

...............................................................................................................................................................................................D

ennisJohnson–GuilfordHealthDirector

...............................................................................................................................................................................................S

idneyGale–Resident

...............................................................................................................................................................................................J

oeMazza–GuilfordFirstSelectman



Anactivediscussionfollowedthepresentation.MeetingminutesareincludedinAppendixA.

Duringthisdiscussion,noneofthepossibleadaptationmeasureswereruledout,althoughit

wasagreedthatsomemaynotbepracticalinGuilford.Instead,muchofthediscussionfocused 

on

howGuilfordwillmakechoices inthefuture.Forexample,potablewatersupplyand

wastewaterdisposalwillbecomechallenginginsomeofthecoastalneighborhoodslikeIndian

Cove,MulberryPoint,andTuttlesPoint;thiswillnecessitatefurtherdialogueaboutwhether

waterandwastewaterinfrastructureshouldbeprovided.Themeetingalsoincluded

a

discussionabouthowfutureplanningeffortsmayneedtobedividedintotown‐wideplanning



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REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE17



andneighborhood‐scaleplanning,whichwillbeaddressedduringthedevelopmentofthe

town’scoastalresilienceplan.



Oneimportantresultofthediscussionwithmunicipaldepartmentheadsandcommission

chairpersonswasthatitinformedanorganizationofthepossiblecoastalresilienceand

adaptationmeasuresintoaconcisecategorizationthatis

consideredappropriateforGuilford.

Thefourcategoriesandtheirsub‐categoriesarelistedinTable2.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE18



Table2

OptionsforCoastalResilienceinGuilford



CategoriesofOptions PossibleOptions

Buildingcodes(freeboard,VzonestandardsinAzones)

Acquisitionofdamagedproperties

Zoningoverlays

Zoningamendments

Managementofcoastalreal

estateandstructures

Coastalrealignmentsthroughanyoftheabove

Hardshorelineprotection

Livingshorelines

Buffersforfloodprotection

Landacquisitionfortidalmarshmigration

Shorelineprotectionand

managementofcoastalandnear‐

shorelands

Landconservationfortidalmarshmigration

Elevationofroadways

Abandonmentofroads

Re‐evaluationofemergencyroutes

Roadwayalterations

Alternateegress

On‐siteretrofitsofsepticsystems

Communitywastewatersystems

Extensionofsewersystem

Individualwatertreatmentsystems

Communitywatersystems

Extensionofwatermains

Protectionorreplacementof

watersupplywellsandseptic

systems

Vacateproperties



3.2 PublicParticipation



TheoptionslistedinTable2wereprese ntedtothepublicduringapublicmeetingonNovem ber

26,2012.AcopyofthepowerpointslideshowisincludedinAppendixBofthisreportalong

withminutesofthemeeting.Approximately50peopleattendedthemeeti ng,

andanarticle

waspublishedintheGuilfordPatch(www.patch.com)onthefollowingday.



Becausethiswasthefirstpublicmeetingaboutcoastalresiliencesubsequenttothepassingof

HurricaneSandyinOctober2012,Mr.KevinMagee(Guilford’sEnvironmentalPlanner)opened

themeetingwithasummaryoftheeffectsof

SandyontheTownofGuilford.Manyroadswere

floodedandtemporarilyclosed.Sandy’sfloodlevelwas5.33feetasrecordedatSeaside



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE19



Avenue.Thetworestaurantsatthemarinawereflooded.However,themarinadidnotsuffer

asmuchdamageasitdidduring HurricaneIren einAugust2011.



ProfessorAlexFelsonandgraduatestudentTimTerwayoftheYaleUrbanEcologyandDesign

Labprovidedasurveytomeetingattendeesand

presentedabriefslideshowtodescribethe

resultsofpriorsurveys.Theseprevioussurveysrevealedthatthepublicbelievesthatphysical

changesareneededtoaddresssealevelriseandincreasecoastalresilience,butthatthereare

societalandinstitutionalobstacles.Theseobstacleswillneedtobeaddressedinfuture

coastal

resilienceplanningeffortsinGuilford.



Next,Dr.FelsonandMr.Terwaymoderatedalivepresentationofthewebtool,travelingfrom

westtoeastalongtheshorelineofGuilford.TheHurr icaneSandyfloodelevationwasaddedto

thedisplaytohelpillustratehowfuturedailyinundationscenarioscouldcompare

toSandy’s

flooding.HeavyredlinesweresuperimposedonroadsthatwerefloodedduringSandy.



Anumberofcommentswerereceivedduringthepublicparticipationcomponentofthe

meeting.ThesearelistedinthemeetingminutesinAppendixB.Ingeneral,thesecomments

canbegroupedintothefollowingfourthemes:



 Coastalresilienceplanning–andmanyofthesolutionsthatareimplemented–maybebest

accomplishedattheneighborhoodscale;andneighborhoodplanninggroupsmayneedto

beorganizedtobeginlookingatappropriatesolutions;

 Thetaxbaseassociatedwithcoastalpropertieswouldneedtobepreservedintheshort

termandthensomeofthetaxbasemayneedtobeshiftedinthelongterm;

 Educationandtechnicalassistanceareneededanddesiredbyhomeowners,andeducation

couldalsobeaccomplishedintheschools;

 Comprehensivesolutionswillbeneededsuchas:addressingwaterandwastewateratthe

sametimeinneighborhoodswherethesesystemswillstruggleorfail;ensuringthat

roadwayimprovementsinonelocationareeffectivebecauseimprovementsarealsomade

elsewhereinthetransportationnetwork;andworkingoncoordinatedroadwayandrailroad

improvements.



TheattractivenessofoptionslistedinTableXXisthattheycanbeappliedonaneighborhood

scaleandcanbeusedforcomprehensivesolutions.Thenextchapterofthisreportdescribes

theoptionsinmoredetail.







COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE20

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4.0 DescriptionofPotentialCoastalResilienceOptionsforGuilford



4.1 ManagementofCoastalRealEstateandStructures



Managementofcoastalrealestateandstructuresmayincludephasingwithcoastalrealignment

strategiesandmayoccurthroughzoningoverlaydistrictsorzoningamendments.Thiscategory

willlikelyincludestrengtheningbuildingcodesto

requirefreeboard,applyingVzonestandards

inAzones,andacquisitionofpropertydamagedbycoastalhazards.



Strengthenbuildingcodestorequirefreeboard



FreeboardstandardsrequirestructurestobeelevatedhigherthanthelevelthatFEMArequires

throughtheNFIPregulations.Applicationoffreeboardstandardstocoastalfloodzone

elevationsistypicallyviewedasmoreeffectivethanapplyingfreeboardstandardstoinland

floodzones.Whenusedalone,freeboardstandardsprovideadditionalcertaintythat

flood

levelswillnotdamageastructure.WhenuseincombinationwithV‐zonestandardsdescribed

below,freeboardstandardscanprovideanadditionallevelofflooddamageprevention.

Independentacademicstudieshavefoundthatfreeboardisoneofthemosteffectivetoolsto

reduceflooddamages.AstudyoftheCRS

foundthatinsuredfloodlosseswerereducedby

almost$1millionincommunitiesthatrequirefreeboard.



FreeboardstandardscanbefoundstatewideinNewYork(wheretwofeetoffreeboardis

requiredfornewconstructionandsubstantialimprovements)andafewotherstates,butitis

notrequiredby

theStateofConnecticutunlesshazardmitigationgrantfundsareusedfor

elevatingstructures.MunicipalitiesinConnecticutareentitledtoadoptfreeboardstandards.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE21

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SeveralcommunitiesinConnecticutrequirefreeboard,althoughnotallofthemarecoastal

towns:



 Ansonia–1foot

 Norwich–1.5feet

 Waterford–1foot

 Meriden–1foot

 OldSaybrook–1foot



At1.5feet,theCityofNorwichmayhavethemostaggressivefreeboardrequirementin

Connecticut.



Guilford’sMunicipalCoastalProgram(2008)includedthefollowingPolicyRecommendation:

“ConsiderestablishingfreeboardstandardsthataremorestringentthanFEMA'sminimum

requirements,asothercommunitieshavedone,

sothat

newconstructionandsubstantial

renovationswillresultinstructuresthatcan

accommodatehigherfloodlevelscausedbysea

levelrise.”Guilford’sHazardMitigationPlan

(2012)alsorecommendedfreeboard.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE22

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ApplyingVzonestandardsinAzones



AsnotedinSection2.2,OldSaybrookrequires

theuseofVzonestandardsincoastalAzones.

Theeffectistocauseagreaterlevelof

protectiontonewconstructionandsubstantial

improvementsincoastalAzonesascompared

tothesamestructuresincoastalAzonesprior

theamendment.Theapplicationofmore

stringentcodesnotonlyprotectsagiven

structure;italsoprotectsnearbystructuresfrom

damagecausedbycollapsingorfloating

structuresanddebris.



Guilford’sMunicipalCoastalProgramand

HazardMitigationPlanbothdiscussthebenefitsofapplyingVzonestandardsincoastalAzones.



Acquisitionofpropertydamagedbycoastalhazards



Immediatelyfollowingcoa stalhazardeventssuchasseverestormsanddamagingstormsurge,

Guilfordmayoccasionallyhaveopportunitiestoacquiredamagedstructuresandtheir

underlyingpropertiesratherthantheownerelectingtomakecostlyrepairstocontinuelivingat

risk.Evenifpropertiesarerepaired,Guilfordmayhaveopportunitiesto

acquirestructuresthat

havesufferedrepeateddamages.Subjecttoasuccessfuldemonstrationofabenefit‐costratio

above1.0,FEMAmitigationfundsmaybeavailableforacquiringdamagedpropertiesusingone

ofthefivetypicalprograms(PreDisasterMitigation,HazardMitigationGrantProgram,Flood

MitigationAssistance,RepetitiveFloodClaims,andSevereRepetitiveLoss)

.



Zoningamendments



ZoningamendmentsmaybeusedatanytimetorequirefreeboardandapplicationofVzon e

standardsincoastalAzones.Theattractivenessofthesemeasuresisthattheywould

immediatelyapplytoSHFAsdelineatedbyFEMA,whetherornotthetownwastoimplement

overlayzones.



Zoningoverlaydistricts



LiketheMarylandcountiesdescribedinSection2.1,Guilfordmaywishtoadoptazoningoverlay

districtthatisdelineatedusingalineoffuturedailyinundationorafuturestormofagiven

hurricanecategory/intensity.Anyoftheplanningperiodsusedinthecoastalresiliencetool

couldbeused

(2020s,2050s,or2080s).Onceadopted,thetowncouldenactanynumberof

requirementsfordevelopmentorredevelopmentwithintheoverlay,includingfreeboardand

applicationofVzonestandardsincoastalAzones(ifnotalreadyincorporatedintoZoning

Regulations)ormorestringentfreeboardsuchastwofeet.Otherpossibilities

mayinclude

variablesetbacksandbuffersorrestrictionsonwhattypesofrenovationsorexpansionsmaybe

permittedforexistingbuildings.



Coastalrealignmentstrategies



“Arollingeasementisalegally

enforceableexpectationthatthe

shoreorhumanaccessalongthe

shorecanmigrateinlandinsteadof

beingsqueezedbetweenan

advancingseaandafixedproperty

lineorphysicalstructure.Theterm

referstoabroadcollectionoflegal

options,manyofwhichdonot



involveeasements.Usually,arolling

easementwouldbeeither(a)alaw

thatprohibitsshoreprotectionor(b)

apropertyrighttoensurethat

wetlands,beaches,barrierislands,

oraccessalongtheshoremoves

inlandwiththenaturalretreatofthe

shore.”(Titus,2011)



Coastalrealignmentwillensurethatwetlandsand

beachesmigrateinlandasbuildingsandroadsare

movedorremoved.Thisisthecentralconceptin

thebroadsetoftoolsknownasrollingeasements.

Rollingeasementscanbethoughtofasa

combinationofthecirca‐1990princi plesof

accommodationand

retreat.Becauseitis

unrealistictopreventdevelopmentoflow‐lying

coastallandsthatcouldeventuallybesubmerged

byarisingsea,analternativeistoallow

developmentwiththeconsciousrecognitionthat

landwillbeabandonedifandwhenthesearises

enoughtosubmergeit.Fromnowuntilthe

landis

threatened,valuablecoastallandcanbeputtoits

highestuse;oncethelandisthreatened,itwill





TheseprogramsaredescribedintheHazardMitigationPlan



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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE23

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converttowetlandorbeachasifithadneverbeendeveloped.



AccordingtoTitus(2011),therearemorethanadozenapproachesforensuring thatwetlands

andbeachesmigrateinlandasbuildingsandroadsaremovedorremoved.Thetermrolling

easementreferstolegaloptions,althoughmanyofthem

donotinvolveeasements.



Ifsomelandsmustgive

waytotherisingsea,the

economic,environmental,

andhumanconsequences

couldbemuchlessifthe

abandonmentoccurs

accordingtoaplanrather

thanunexpectedly.(Titus,

2011)

Regulatoryrollingeasementsinclude:



 Localzoningthatrestrictsshoreprotection;

 Regulationsthatprohibitshoreprotectionbystate

coastalorwetlandprograms,orrequireremovalof

structuresstandingonthebeachorinthewetlands;

 Permitconditionsthatrequirepublicaccessalongthe

drybeachinreturnforabuildingpermit;and

 Permitconditionsthatrequirepublicaccessalongthe

inlandsideofanewshoreprotectionstructure,in

returnforapermittobuildsuchastructure.



A“propertyrightsapproach”includes:



 Affirmativeeasementsthatprovidethepublicwiththerighttowalkalongthedrybeach

evenifthebeachmigratesinland; 

 Conservationeasementsthatpreventlandownersfromerectingshoreprotectionstructures

orelevatingthegradesoftheirland;

 Restrictivecovenantsinwhichownersaremutuallyboundtoavoidshoreprotectionand

allowaccessalongtheshoretomigrateinland;

 Futureintereststhattransferownershipoflandwhe neverthesearisestoaparticularlevel;

 Migratingpropertylinesthatmoveastheshoreerodes,enablingwaterfrontparcelsto

migrateinlandsothatinherentlywaterfrontactivitiescancontinue.

 Legislativeorjudicialrevisionsandclarificationsregardingtheinlandmigrationofpublic

accessalongtheshoreandtherightsoflandownerstoholdbackthesea;and

 Transferabledevelopmentrightsthatprovidethosewhoyieldlandtotherisingseatheright

tobuildonlandnearby.



Theparticulardetailsassociatedwithimplementingtheaboverollingeasementsaretoovaried

tofullydescribeinthisreportofcoastalresilienceoptions.Asplanningcontinues,Guilfordwill

needtodetermine

whetherrollingeasementsarethebestmethodsofencouragingcoastal

realignment.



4.2 ShorelineProtectionandManagementofCoastalandNear‐ShoreLands



Shorelineprotectionandmanagementofcoastalandnear‐shorelandsdiffersfromthe

managementofcoastalrealestateandstructuresbyfocusingonthelanditself.Thisgroup

of

measuresmayincludehardshorelineprotections,livingshorelines,landacquisitionandland



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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE24



conservationpracticesfortidalmarshadvancement,andtidalwetlandbuffersfornear‐shore

floodprotection.

Hardshorelineprotection



AccordingtoTitus(2011),plannersintheUnitedStatesviewshoreprotectionaslikelyfor60%

ofthelow‐lyingshorelinealongtheAtlanticcoastifsealevelrisesthreefeetinthenextcentury.

Hardshorelineprotectiongenerallyincludesthefollowing structuresthatarepa rallel tothe

shoreline:



 Seawallsareengineeredbarriersthatprotectlandfromwavesandflooding

 Leveesareengineeredbermsthatprotectlandfromflooding

 Bulkheadsareengineeredstructuresthatretainsoilandreduceerosion

 Riprapprovidesprotectionfromerosionbydissipatingwaveenergy



Hardprotectionsthatarenotparalleltotheshorelinemayincludejetties,groins,revetments,

andthelike.



Inordertoincludehardshorelineprotectioninacommunity,itisoftennecessarytoinspect

coastalstructuressuchasbulkheadsandseawalls;determine

whichstructuresaredeteriorating

andneedrepair;prioritizerepairofstructuresbasedonconditionandabilitytoprotect

property;andassessprivately‐ownedcoastalstructures.Guilfordwillcontinuetohaveareas

thatareprotectedbyhardshorelineprotectionwellintothefuture,includingprivateproperties

andmunicipalfacilitiessuchasthe

marina.Maintenanceofhardstructuresisadesiredaction

thatisdiscussedinthetown’sHazardMitigationPlanandtheMunicipalCoastalProgram.In

short,hardshorelineprotectionwillalwaysbeanimportanttoolforGuilfordtomaximize

coastalresilienceindiscreteareas.



Livingshorelines



Livingshorelinesusenon‐structural

shorelinestabilizationtoprovideerosion

controlandenhancenaturalhabitat.These

areoftencreatedthroughstrategic

placementofplants,stone,sandfill,and

otherstructuralandorganicmaterials.

Livingshorelinesarenotcompatiblewith

high‐energywatersbutmaybeappropriate

fordifferentpartsof

theGuilfordshoreline

duetothesomewhatprotectednatureof

LongIslandSound.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE25



Thesciencesurroundinglivingshorelinesisyoung.In2012,theVirginiaInstituteofMarine

Sciencepublishedthereport“EcologicalandErosionProtectionFunctionsofChesapeakeBay

LivingShorelines”incooperationwithNOAA,theChesapeakeBayTrust,andthe

Maryland

PhotocourtesyofMarylandCommissiononClimateChange

DepartmentoftheEnvironment.Thisreportprovidesanumberofdesigncriteriaandlessons

learnedfromlivingshorelineprojects.



RecentchangesinConnecticut’scoastalmanagementlawsappeartomaketheuseofliving

shorelinesmorepermissiblealongthestate’sshorelinebyexcludingthemfromthedefinitions

associatedwithhardstructures.

Inthecomingyears,Guilfordmaywishtodevelopliving

shorelineprojectstoprotecttidalwetlandsthathavebeeneroding.Controloftidalwetland

erosionisadesiredactionthatisdiscussedintheHazardMitigati on PlanandtheMunicipal

CoastalProgram.



Buffersfornear‐shorefloodprotection



TheuseofbuffersinGuilfordisnotanewconcept.TheMunicipalCoastalProgram

recommendedasystemofvariablebuffersforshorelineproperties,andthePlanningand

ZoningCommissionoftenrequiresbuffersinconnectionwithdevelopmentprojects.Buffers

maybeassociatedwithtidalwetlandsalthoughthisisnotnecessary.



Theappealofbuffersrelativetocoastalresilienceisthattheyprovidespaceforfloodmitigation

andwaveattenuationbetweentidalwatersandstructuresorinfrastructure.Whilebuffersmay

notstopwaterfromreachingastructure,researchofcoastalstormdamageintheUnitedStates

hasshowntimeandtime

againthatstormsurgesareslowedandwavesareattenuatedwhen

buffersareavailable.Settingasidebuffersbetweenwaterandstructuresorbetweenwaterand

infrastructureisviewedasanimportanttoolforGuilfordtoincreasecoastalresilience.



Landacquisitionfortidalmarshmigration



TheMunicipalCoastalProgramincludesalengthydiscussionofthebenefitsofacquiringlandfor

migrationoftidalwetlands.Settingasidecoastallandformarshmigrationisalso recommended

intheHazardMitigationPlan.Thebenefitsofacquisitionarefairlyobvious–iftheappropriate

landisacquired(inthe

bestlocationand

withoptimalgroundsurfaceelevations),

thentidalwetlandswillhavethebest

chanceofadaptingtosealevelriseby

migratinginland.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE26



GraphicfromRollingEasements(Titus,2011)



Landconservationfortidalmarsh

migration



Iflandcannotbeacquiredfortidal

wetlandmigration,theremaybe

opportunitiestosetasidethe

appropriatelandthroughconservation

easementsandotherarrangements.In

somecases,thismayoccurthroughthe

useofrollingeasements.Inotherwords,Guilfordmaynotacquireprivateproperties;instead,

thesepropertieswouldcontinuetoremaininprivateownershipandtidalwetlandswouldbe

allowedtomigrateinlandasstructuresareremoved.Thisconceptisdepictedinthegraphic

above.



4.3 RoadwayAlterations



Asnotedin

Section1.2,asummaryoftransportation‐relateddiscussionswaspublishedinthe

report“ThePotentialImpactsofClimateChangeonTransportation”in2002.Thereport

demonstratedthattherearespecialvulnerabilitiesassociatedwithroads,airports,andother

transportationsystemsandnetworks.Adaptationmethodssuchaselevatingroads,protecting

systemswith

dikes,andretreatwerediscussedinthereport.



Guilford’sMunicipalCoastalProgramandHazardMitigationPlanbothaddressroads.The

specificroadwayvulnerabilitiesinGuilfordwerealsodocumentedintheriskandvulnerability

reportthatprecededthisreportofoptions.Inparticular,theMunicipalCoastalProgramstates

that“TheTown

shouldelevatekeyroadwaystokeepupwithincreasingcoastalflooddepthsand

sealevelrise.Evacuationroutesshouldbeprioritized,andRoute146shouldbethehighest

priorityoftheevacuationroutes.PotentialinundationareasattheWestRiver,LongCove,and

LeetesIslandmustbeelevatedtomaintainRoute

146asaviableevacuationroute.Inaddition,

DanielAvenue,IndianCoveRoad,andTuttlesPointRoadshouldbeimprovedasneededto

ensurethatIndianCoveresidentscanevacuateviaMulberryPointwhenaccesstoVineyard

PointRoadisflooded.”



RoadwayalterationsinGuilfordmayincludeelevationofroadways,

abandonmentofsome

roads,re‐analysisofemergencyaccess,anddevelopingalternativeegressforsomeareas.



Elevationofroadways



Roadscanbeelevatedtoremainviablewhilefloodelevationsincrease.Thishasbeendonein

manycoastalcommunitiesalongtheeastcoastoftheUnitedStatesoverthelastcenturyassea

levelhasbeenrising.Thedrawbacktoelevatingroadsisthatprivatepropertiesoftenremainat

lower

elevationsandthereforeremainflood‐prone.Ahigherroadsurfacecanthenimpede

drainageoffloodwatersoffproperties.Crossculvertscanbeusedtofacilitatedrainageunder

elevatedroads.Atsignificantlygreatercostandeffort,someroadscanbeelevatedonpiersor

longbridges.



Theelevationofroadswill

likelybeanimportantcoastalresiliencetoolusedinGuilford.The

townisalreadyevaluatingthefeasibilityofelevatingsectionsofOldQuarryRoadtoimprove

accesstoandfromthepropertieslocatedintheOldQuarryneighborhood.SectionsofRoute

146willbelikelycandidatesforelevationinthecoming

years,aswell.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE27



Abandonmentofsomeroads



Somecommunitiesmayfinditacceptabletoabandonroadsasthecostofelevatingor

maintainingaroadbecomesexcessive.Forexample,Somerset County(Section2.1)has

exploredtheabandonmen tofcertainroads.InGuilford,onepotentialexampleofaroadthat

couldbeabandonedisthesectionofTuttles

PointRoadthatconnectsTuttlesPointtoMulberry

Point.Thissection ofroadisalreadyflood‐prone.However,theroadcouldnotbeabandoned

unlessanalternatemodeofaccesswasdevelopedforTuttlesPointresidents,suchasaroad

furtherinland.



Insomecases,completeabandonmentmaynot benecessary,

butGuilfordmayallowalesser

levelofmaintenance.AnexamplecanbefoundatPebbleBeachinRockport,Massachusetts.

AftermanyyearsofrepavingaroadatPebbleBeachthatispronetofrequentwashover,the

townnowmaintainstheroadasunpavedandsimplyclearsthesurfaceafter

washoverevents.



Re‐analysisandevaluationofemergencyaccessandroutes



Somecommunitiesmayabandondesignatedemergencyaccessways(withoutactually

abandoningtheassociatedroad)whileselectingadifferent routeforemergencyaccessor

evacuations.InGuilford,onepotentialexampleistoleaveDanielAvenueatitsexistinggrade

andelevateWestLanesothatIndianCoveresidentsmayevacuateto

thewestinsteadoftothe

east.DanielAvenuewouldnotbeabandoned,butitwouldnolongerserveasaroutethatcould

beusedforevacuationduringacoastalfloodevent.



Developingalternativeegressforsomeareas



Developingalternateegresswouldlikelybeusedinconnectionwithabandonmentofroads

and/orre‐assignmentofemergencyaccess.IntheTuttlesPointRoadexampledescribedabove,

analternatemodeofaccesswouldbedevelopmentfurtherinland.IntheDanielAvenue

exampledescribedabove,WestLakewouldbecomethealternate

egress.



4.4 ProtectionorReplacementofWaterSupplyWellsandSepticSystems



Asnotedintheriskandvulnerabilityreport,someofGuilford’sneighborhoodswillfaceserious

problemsrelativetowatersupplyandsanitarywastewaterdisposalassealevelrisesand

groundwaterrisesaccordingly.Adaptation methodsmayincludeon‐site

retrofitstoseptic

systems,developmentofcommunitywaterandwastewaterdisposalsystems,extensionof

sewerandwatersystems,or–inextremecases–vacatingproperties.



On‐siteretrofits



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE28



Asmallnumberofpotentialsolutionsmaybeavailableforpropertyownerstocontinue

generatingsanitarywastewaterontheirproperties.Firstandforemost,septicsystemscanbe

elevatedtomaintainanappropriateverticalseparationbetweeneffluentleachfieldsandthe

surfaceofthegroundwatertable.Elevatingasystemwilltypicallyrequirebuilding

amoundof

fillmaterialoverthenewsystem,andtheuseofpumpingequipmentbecausegravitydrainage

willnolongerbepossible.Ifelevatingasystemisnotpossible,asuitablesiteforanewsystem

maybefoundelsewhereonaproperty.However,thetownofGuilfordrecognizes

thatthiswill

bedifficultformanyofthesmalllotsfoundinsomeoftheshorelineneighborhoodswhere

watersupplywellsarealsopresentonlots.



Incaseswherethefullareaneededforrenovationofwastewaterisnolongeravailable,

propertyownerscouldattempttoinstallandmaintainadvanced

sewagetreatmentfacilities.

Whilethismaybefeasiblefromanengineeringviewpoint, itisunlikelythattheaverage

homeownerwouldhavethetimeandfinancialresourcesavailabletoconstantlymaintainthese

treatmentsystemsinworkingorder.



Incaseswheresepticsystemscannotbeimproved,itmaybepossibletoinstall

effluentholding

tanks.Thetankswouldthenbepumpedoutandsanitarywastewaterwouldbedeliveredtoa

sewagetreatmentplantelsewhereinConnecticut.Inpractice,thisisprobablynotfeasiblefor

mostofGuilford’scoastalneighborhoods.Duringthebusysummermonths,neighborhoods

couldfacemultiplepumpoutswithtruckscrowdingthe

streetsindenselypopulated

neighborhoods.



Individualwatertreatmentsystems



Assaltwaterintrusionallowsbrackishgroundwatertoflowintowells,residentsmaychooseto

removedissolvedsolids(saltandotherminerals)usingsmall reverseosmosistreatment

systems.Thesesystemscanalsobeusedtoremovenitratesthatoriginateinnearbyseptic

systems.Individualwatertreatme ntsystemscanbeused

formanyyearsandareeasily

replacedwhennecessary.



Developmentofcommunitysystems



Iftheaboveoptionsarenotviableforacertainneighborhood,thencommunitywatersystems

and/orcommunitywastewaterdisposalsystemsmaybefeasibleforsomepartsofGuilford.

Differentsetsofchallengeswouldariseforeach:



 CommunitywatersystemsarestrictlyregulatedbytheConnecticutDepartmentofPublic

Health(DPH).CommunitywatersystemsinGuilfordmustbeownedandoperatedbythe

ConnecticutWaterCompany,whichholdstheexclusiveserviceareainGuilford.Such

systemscanonlybedevelopedwheretheappropriatesanitarysetbacks(establishedinthe



PublicHealthCode)aroundeachwellcanbeplacedintothecontrolofthewatercompany;

thistypicallyrequiresseveralacresoflandforwellsites.Itwouldbedifficulttositewells

withtheappropriatesanitarysetbacksandopenspacenearGuilford’scoastal



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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

neighborhoodswhilemaintainingareasonablyclosedistancetotheneighborhoodsinorder

tokeepwatertransmissioncoststoaminimum.Ifwaterfromnewwellsneedstobe

treated,thencostswillincrease.



 Communitywastewatersystemsarecurrentlyundergoingfeasibilitystudiesinseveral

shorelinetownsinConnecticutsuchasOldSaybrookandOldLymewherebeach

communitieshavestruggledwithsepticsystemfailures.Communitysystemsarestrictly

regulatedbytheConnecticutDepartmentofEnergyandEnvironmentalProtection(forflows

exceeding5,000gallonsperday

[gpd])ortheDPH(forflowslessthan5,000gpd);alongwith

thelocalhealthdepartment.Likecommunitywatersystems,itwouldbedifficulttosite

communitywastewatersystemsnearGuilford’scoastalneighborhoodswhilemaintaininga

reasonablyclosedistancetotheneighborhoodsinordertokeeptransmissionandpumping

costs

toaminimum.



Developmentofacommunitywastewaterdisposalsystemhasbeenintermittentlyconsidered

overtheyearsintheTownCenterSoutharea,butthecoastalresidentialneighborhoodshave

notexploredthistypeofsolution.



Extensionofsewerandwatersystems



TheConnecticutWaterCompanyalreadyownsandoperatesapublicwaterdistributionsystem

inGuilford.ThesystemispresentinareassuchasSachemsHeadbutitdoesnotextendinto

coastalneighborhoodssuchasIndianCove,MulberryPoint,andTuttlesPoint.TheTownof

Guilfordcommissionedafeasibilitystudy

forextendingthewatersystemtothesethree

neighborhoodsanddevelopedcostestimatesforwatermainexte nsions. Followingthis

exercise,GuilfordresidentsvotedagainstextendingwatermainstoIndianCove,MulberryPoint,

andTuttlesPoint.However,thetownrecognizesthatoverthelongterm,thismaybeoneof

theonly

viablemeansofprovidingasafeandreliablewatersupplytocoastalneighborhoods.



SanitarysewersystemsarenotpresentlylocatedinGuilford’scoastalneighborhoods.Inorder

toprovidesanitarysewerserviceinplaceofsepticsystems,thetownwouldneedtodevelopa

newsewersystemandidentifyalocation

fortreatingsewage.Thiscouldbeanewsewage

treatmentplantinGuilford,orthetowncouldpumpsanitarywastewatertoanearby

municipalitywithatreatmentplant.Ineithercase,thissolutiontowastewaterhandlingin

Guilfordwouldcostmanymillionsofdollars,ifnotmore.



Vacatingpropertywhennone

oftheabovearefeasible



Inextremesituationswhereon‐sitesolutionsarenotfeasibleforprovidingapotablewater

supplyanddisposingofsanitarywastewater,andcommunityortownwidesystemsarenot

possibleduetofeasibilityorexpense,somepropertiesmayberenderedunusable.These

propertieswillbevacated,possiblyabandoned,andthetown

willlosetheassociatedtaxbase.



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE30



4.5 CombiningOptions



Guilford’scoastalneighborhoodsarediverseanditislikelythateachwillbefacedwitha

combinationofvulnerabilitiestosea levelriseandtheincreasedincidenceandseverityof

coastalstorms.Acombinationofadaptationmeasureswillthereforebenecessaryineach

neighborhoodinorderto

reducerisksandincreaseresilience.



SeasideAvenueisagoodexampleofaresidentialneighborhoodwhereseveraladaptation

measuresfromeachofthefourcategoriesmaybenecessary:



 HomesalongSeasideAvenuewillbeincreasinglyvulnerabletofloodingandwaveaction

duringintensestorms.FreeboardandtheapplicationofVzonestandardswillstrengthen

structuresandmakethemmoreresilient(especiallyforthosehousesthathavenotyetbeen

elevatedtoFEMA’sbasefloodlevel).

 Atthesametime,accessalongSeasideAvenuewillbecompromisedmorefrequentlyunless

theroadiselevated.Crossculvertswillbeneededtofacilitatethepassingofwaterfrom

northwesttosoutheast(andviceversa)beneaththeroad.

 Inordertomaintainthewidebufferoftidalwetlandsthattheseresidentscurrentlyenjoy

(betweentheroadandtheedgeofLongIslandSound),thetownmaywishtode velop living

shorelinesalongtheedgeofthesoundtoreduceerosion. 

 Asgroundwaterrisesandsepticsystemshaveahardertimefuncti oning,orasfrequent

floodswashoversepticsystems,homeownerswillneedtobuildmoundedsepticsystems.

 Assomepropertiesaredamagedbeyondreasonablerepair,orassepticsystemfailures

requirethatpropertiesbevacated, thetownmayacquirelotsandsetthelandasidefor

migrationoftidalwetlands.



SoundviewRoadoffersanexampleofanon‐residentialareawhereseveraladaptationmeasures

fromeachofthe

fourcategoriesmaybenecessary.Figure1depictsageneralizedcommercial

buildingthatisvulnerabletovariousaspectsofsealevelriseandincreasedincidenceofcoastal

hazards,andonethathasbeenadapted.Theadaptedbuildinghasanelevatedsepticsystem,a

relocatedwellwithwellheadlocatedabovefuture

floodlevels,apartiallyflood‐proofed

building,andelevatedcriticalsystemsinsideandoutsidethebuildingsuchasITandHVAC.



Someneighborhoodsmaybeprimarilyfocusedonsomeoftheadaptationmeasuresmorethan

others,dependingontheirvulnerabilities.Forexample,homesinSachemsHeadareservedby

the

publicwatersystemandmanywillhavesuitablespaceforsepticsystemupgrades.

However,theneighborhoodispronetoisolationduringstormsurgesthatfloodkeysectionsof

Route146.Therefore,elevationofRoute146willbecriticaltomaintainevacuationroutesfrom

(andemergencyaccessto)SachemsHead.



Neighborhood‐scale

resilienceplanningwillbeimportantinGuilford.Whenthisplanning

occurs,neighborhoodswillbeurgedtoevaluateindi vidualadaptationmeasuresanddetermine



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE31



howcomprehensivesolutionscanbedevelopedandimplementedforbuildingcoastal

resilience.

Figure1



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

GUILFORD,CONNECTICUT

FEBRUARY2013 PAGE32



VulnerableandAdaptedCommercial

Facilities



COMMUNTYCOASTALRESILIENCEPLAN

REPORTOFOPTIONSTOINCREASECOASTALRESIILIENCE

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FEBRUARY2013 PAGE33



AppendixA

PresentationandMeetingMinutes–October10,2012







AppendixB

PresentationandMeetingMinutes–November26,2012





