PETERSBURG – At the March 11 Upper Township Committee meeting, Engineer Paul Dietrich gave a summary of a study discussed at a recent meeting with state Department of Environmental Protection about Strathmere beach management administered by the municipality.
“A perimeter embankment wall that would create a barrier between bay waters prone to flooding and housing and roads is being viewed as not cost-effective, according to Army Corps of Engineers studies. The ultimate goal is to have back bay remediation for flooding the same as what has been done for the oceanfront.
“With a perimeter wall, we’d probably then need to get into stormwater-control pumping which is extremely expensive. Without a tidal flood gate, there is no perimeter control in the event of flooding. So, the alternative is to raise the level of houses and roads eventually,” explained Dietrich.
“Weren’t we pursuing a natural barrier solution for Strathmere flooding?” asked Mayor Richard Palombo. “I’m a little disappointed we’re not going to use that as a solution. Not all people can get upstairs to elevated houses. We should be looking at what we want to prioritize. Non-structural techniques also don’t take into account creating and protecting evacuation routes.”
Strathmere flooding has been a long-standing issue in recent years, as the town is surrounded by not only beachfront but also significant bay frontage, as well as exposure to Corson’s Inlet’s shifting tides, currents and resulting shifting sand movements.
“Per the study, it was determined that the benchmark of $1 invested in remediation, in this case in the form of a perimeter wall, does not equal $1 in value of probable damages. The preliminary study indicated a .8 ratio and a more detailed study indicated a ratio of .47, so even lower. Strathmere is very compact and small, so the end result is the determination that it is more cost effective to raise structures,” explained Dietrich.
Committee member John Coggins asked if there would be grant funding for the endeavor of raising Strathmere houses, similar to a back bay restoration that had been done in Avalon.
“I believe Avalon’s project was tied to habitat improvement. For us in Strathmere, once the study is totally finalized, then we would move into a feasibility study and then ultimately engineering studies. Once all this is complete over a period of years, we can evaluate next steps and seek guidance from the (Army) Corps to meet their cost-benefit analysis and criteria,” said Dietrich.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
