Shoring up Branford’s Coastal Neighborhoods

Frequent flooding on Meadow Street and Hammer Field could be reduced by installing a flood gate and a pumping system. That’s one of numerous community-wide options discussed in Branford’s proposed Coastal Resilience Plan. The plan outlines changes in neighborhoods from Short Beach to Stony Creek and includes upgrades in drainage systems in specific areas. 

The draft of the comprehensive plan was presented at an informational meeting Tuesday by town engineer Janice Plaziak; and engineer David Murphy of Milone & MacBroom Inc. of Cheshire. The federally-funded plan has been in the works for several months, and previous public sessions were held in November and February.

The plan seeks ways to help Branford’s neighborhoods become less vulnerable to the effects of high tides and coastal storms. ​“Each neighborhood has its own set of challenges,” Plaziak said.

“We want to reduce recovery time and become more resilient,” Murphy said.

The plan could be adopted as a stand-alone plan; or administered by a commission; or it could be added to either the Hazard Mitigation Plan or the Plan of Conservation and Development.

The town of Branford is comprised of 22 square miles and has 20 miles of coastline, including Long Island Sound and the Branford River. The town has one of the longest coastlines in the state. 

The draft plan, which is 50 pages plus appendices, is posted on the Engineering Department’s web site, and a hard copy is available at Town Hall. About 20 people attended Tuesday’s session and asked questions or offered comments.

It’s not too late to comment on the draft plan before it is finalized in early June.

“Please get your comments to me,” Plaziak said, adding that people may contact her through e‑mail at [email protected] or by calling the Engineering Department at Town Hall.

“We need to keep these ideas coming from the people,” Plaziak said Tuesday. She said planning is an ongoing process, and that there will be updates to this plan, and to the Hazard Mitigation Plan that was completed in May 2014. These types of plans are vital when the town applies for state or federal funding for projects.

In addition, the Planning and Zoning Commission will soon begin updating the Plan of Conservation and Development, which is revised every 10 years.

“There are always opportunities for folks to stay involved,” Plaziak said.

Resiliency

The Coastal Resilience Plan includes vulnerability and risk assessments, coastal adaptation strategies, conceptual plans, and a discussion of implementation and potential funding sources.

The plan looks into the future, with sea level rise scenarios for the 2020’s, 2050’s, and 2080’s; and for category 2 storms. See photo above.

Murphy explained that resiliency includes ways to prepare, adapt, withstand and recover from flooding and erosion caused by high tides, storm surges, rising seas, and coastal storms.

The plan includes options for hard protection, like seawalls and dikes; soft protection such as beach nourishment and dune restorations; infrastructure options such as drainage improvements, road elevation, tide gates, and flood- proofing sewer pumping stations; and home protection through elevation. It also includes options for regulatory tools such as zoning modifications, and height-limit flexibility; and coastal realignment such as property acquisition or abandoning roads.

The chart of neighborhoods (top photo) shows options that might help specific neighborhoods. For example, Beckett Avenue in Short Beach would benefit from beach nourishment, drainage upgrades, and elevating buildings and Stony Creek would develop an evacuation plan.

“There are different ways the town can adapt over time,” said Murphy, who outlined the plan in a power point presentation, which is also on the Engineering Department’s web site.

There is also lists of the 28 town and state roads that are the most vulnerable. The top five on the town list are Linden Avenue, Indian Neck Avenue, Waverly Park Road, Pine Orchard Road, and Clark Avenue. The top five on the state list are Route 146 at Jarvis Creek; Route 142 at Short Beach; Route 146 at Sybil Creek; Route 146 at Branford River; and Route 146 at Limewood Beach.

Meadow Street and Hammer Field

The plan also takes a look at some specific areas and compares options. One of those areas is the Meadow Street — Hammer Field neighborhood which is prone to flooding from heavy rainstorms, from the Branford River, and storm surges from Long Island Sound.

“Part of the problem is the railroad underpass,” Murphy said, as he discussed the need for a storm gate to help protect the lower end of Meadow Street and Hammer Field.

The photo of the Meadow Street neighborhood above compares the extent of daily high tide flooding in the 2080’s with an open gate and with a closed gate.

“Daily high-tide flooding could happen in the 2080’s — twice a day,” Murphy said.

This area is particularly important because of the number of homes and businesses, the electrical substation and a sewer pump station. It is also the location of the Hammer Field sports area, and the Community House, which is scheduled for renovation to include the senior center. The proposed Atlantic Wharf upscale apartments and retail shops are slated to be built on the upper end of Meadow Street.

Murphy said a flood gate would help curb the flooding, but there is also a need to upgrade the storm drainage infrastructure, and to install a stormwater pumping station. The draft plan lists an estimated construction cost of $813,000 for the gate and other upgrades. That cost would not include the possibility of raising the railroad tracks in that area.

Looking Ahead

Once the plan is finalized, the next steps are to determine how to implement it and how to seek funding. Murphy said the town has numerous options, which are all listed in the plan.

“Ultimately the goal is to be more resilient,” Murphy said.

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