Strathmere group says conditions likely to worsen
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
STRATHMERE — Seas are rising, and unless steps are taken quickly the damage from flooding in coastal areas is likely to get worse, members of the Strathmere Fishing and Environmental Club wrote in a recent letter to Upper Township Committee and the Upper Township Planning Board.
The letter, signed by club president Scott Oliver and accepted unanimously by the organization’s board, outlines recommendations to head off future damage. The proposals range from massive undertakings, such as creating a protective berm around Strathmere and Whale Beach, to developing a plan for salt-resistant plants that could reduce the impact of residential development. Copies were also sent to lawmakers.
Township Committee discussed the letter Feb. 22. Members supported the concept but expressed concern about the costs.
Just before the committee meeting, members spent another lengthy workshop seeking ways to trim expenses to bring the 2021 budget within state spending caps.
That doesn’t mean the committee members completely rejected the proposals.
“I think it’s definitely a project we should pursue,” Committeeman Curtis Corson said, adding that he needed more details about whether the project could be included in the capital budget.
That would allow the township to bond for the work rather than include it in the budget.
“But at this time, with the budget issues that we’re dealing with, we’ve got to take our time and see what funding we can come up with,” he said.
The concerns came down to funding.
“I think at this time, it’s a project that is very difficult to expense. Certainly, it’s a worthy project and something that we could possibly capitalize through our bond,” Committeeman John Coggins said.
But to include it in the budget could cut into township services, he said.
“We’re in a position where we have to prioritize, and even though it’s an important project, it may not be the most important issue that we’re facing right now,” Committeewoman Kim Hayes said.
Corson suggested getting the community involved in the project, including the possibility of getting Scouts involved with their Eagle Scout projects.
But Mayor Rich Palombo said the initial expenses recommended by the Strathmere organization would be for experts in the subject.
He proposed setting the issue aside, under unfinished business, as the budget discussions continue. He asked for further discussion at the next meeting, set for March 8.
Wayne Thomas, vice president of the Strathmere Fishing and Environmental Club, said the letter is the start of a long conversation.
He said at the meeting that he appreciated the topic being on the agenda and that the club asked for a resolution to adopt the principles of environmentally responsible flood management.
“We didn’t expect that there was going to be any kind of commitment tonight,” he said, adding that multiple club members were on the call.
“If we ignore the problem, it’s only going to get worse. There’s already significant erosion and flooding,” Thomas said, raising concerns about property values and public safety.
The letter states that rising sea levels have already increased flooding, and projects things getting worse in the future.
The club prepared the letter in consultation with Douglas Gaffney, vice president of the engineering firm Mott MacDonald.
“Throughout Upper Township, and especially along its coastal shorelines, major flooding events have become more frequent, and so-called ‘nuisance flooding’ is as routine as the full moon,” the letter reads. “It takes less of a tide or a storm to cause coastal flooding that does severe damage. The trend is only accelerating, and our ground water table remains higher longer, which means drainage and water runoff takes longer as well.”
The letter recommends coastal resiliency efforts that work with nature, combining hard structures such as rock revetments with other methods in later phases, including using local plants and soils and even oysters to increase flood protection, a system often described as living shorelines.
Proposals include:
— A comprehensive plan to use permeable paving to allow better drainage
— Using green standards for storm and flood drainage systems
— Installation of pumping stations to more quickly clear water from streets
— Development of living shorelines to reduce flooding and minimize the loss of wetlands
— Creation of a protective berm where there are no bulkheads, and to protect the primary roads in Strathmere and Whale Beach
— Development of a plan for salt-resistant trees, shrubs and other plants on public property and on private land where the owner agrees. This was the only area of the letter that proposed a specific spending amount, asking the township to pledge $5,000 and promising the club would also spend $5,000.