Informal ABC Flood Group Meeting - May 13, 2014

[Wayne Chouinard]

Hello Everyone,

 

If you have not heard already, there will be a Public Hearing (see attached) held by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on May 15, 2014 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. The meeting will take place at Belmont Town Hall, 455 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA  02478.  The hearing is a State requirement and is part of the process for the re-authorization of the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge for the A-B-C Stormwater Flooding Board.

 

Please be aware this is not an ABC Flood Group meeting.

 

Also, in anticipation of the re-authorization of the JPA Agreement many people have expressed an interest in meeting informally to discuss items and issues to include on future A-B-C Stormwater Flooding Board agenda's.  This will not be a formal meeting, but I have booked the Selectmen's 2nd Floor Hearing Room at Arlington Town Hall from 6:00pm to 7:00pm to accept input and informally discuss any items of concerns.

 

If you are interested in either of the above mentioned events please feel free to attend.  As soon as the A-B-C Stormwater Flooding Board is authorized I will post the information to the A-B-C Tri-Community Google Group and inform everyone of the first meeting date. 

 

Regards,

Wayne

 

 

Wayne A. Chouinard, PE

Town Engineer

Arlington Public Works

51 Grove Street

Office: (781) 316-3320

E-mail: wchou...@town.arlington.ma.us

[Stephen Kaiser]

Wayne,

Unfortunately I have a meeting conflict elsewhere at Alewife
tonight. You listed the identified issues :

1 * Differences between FEMA Mapping vs. Corp of Engineers Maps –
Stephen Kaiser
2 * DCR Dam draw down practices – Patrick Johnston
3 * Development & Construction within the Alewife Floodplain –Stephen Kaiser
4 * MWRA Sewer overflows
5 * Coastal Rise of sea level, Storm surge, tidal flood surge,
climate change – Stephen Kaiser

I think item #1 and #5 can be combined, and Cambridge can be of
assistance because of their active investigation into storm surge
vulnerability from hurricanes. Cambridge has large maps, quite clear,
showing the effects of various category hurricanes.

I know that Cambridge has taken the position in the past that
development is not a topic for discussion. Alewife is both the
highest flood vulnerability area of Cambridge and a key location for
new housing development. It should be valid to discuss what is built
at Alewife, how much and how high. As a minimum, Cambridge can talk
about how it plans to protect residents and employees within the
flooded areas of Cambridge.

Items #1 and #5 should come first, and the three communities will
likely to cooperative in discussing the issues and sharing of
information. In this spirit, item #3 may come to be an acceptable
topic for all.

Steve Kaiser

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[Anne Johnson Landry]

Hi all:

Attached, please find the testimony Senator Brownsberger will be submitting to EOEEA. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at 617-722-1280.

Best,
Anne

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