By: Larry Trout, PE and Jennifer Pongratz, CFM
Delaware’s Coastal Regulatory Program is currently operating from a mapped building restriction line based on topography that is over 40 years old. The purpose of the line is to protect a defensive dune and to keep development away from advancing flood waters during coastal storms. Although separate from any floodplain regulations, the Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches and the use of a building restriction line could be considered a statewide higher standard along Delaware’s coastline. Recognizing erosion and other factors have caused the building line to become irrelevant in many locations, the need for alternatives for restricting development along the shoreline became apparent. With that and a nudge from the State’s Climate Action Plan, Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) decided to investigate new ways of restricting coastal construction. When a limited funding source became available, ICF and Straughan Environmental were hired to look at several alternatives and to make a recommendation as to how to draw a new line. Despite time and budget constraints, the study included five alternatives to a building restriction line and an analysis of how changing the building line may impact the local economy. The result was an initial report for DNREC to evaluate and determine the best path forward. This presentation will go over the report, how it was conducted, the mapping that was done and each of the alternatives that were given.
Register here to watch the presentation on Thursday, May 22nd at 10:30am CT! https://www.floods.org/conference/registration/