[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6427233,"mediaKeyId","5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a","parentId",5906514,"title","New Shoreham committee awaits final edits on Corn Neck Road master plan as grant timelines approach","audioSeconds",534,"startMs",501000,"endMs",1035000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a&start=501&end=1035","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a/thumbnail_501000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6427233/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/New-Shoreham-committee-awaits-final-edits-on-Corn-Neck-Road-master-plan-as-grant-timelines-approach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427233-3108da8642f253bf21f0e7f1fe3d0220/orig.mp4?Expires=1776017540&Signature=Ro6lvrV5635uj-WMa7~J9CyLIQd1Vx0eFVO1oxqqI9RS-HdcWdfbsnl~MSBoDJfOduvgxyqJaQPDw849iI8PthFDFFS19A7-weFl6JdKIOZy6xzSpyyXxJ-TVT6iVYIe0kqN2mQ3fVADouh03x5mph57zjZO9JtCoarOfSkHYy5NqzOMcFG9htW1fiyj-pSW0RRWLkRlSUcqhVonJix1SiZE0Xldzx4OBlc~bHt7bOQFfHcCFZFgKtZoMuM3QSMsrCzU31ifYgrnjrSBh5RysjPOIcfP~FF6lk6pVLnL~D9B20ReNCCPepzaAXwD8OLVeUU0a8kbRePiYt1fL~jfBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of New Shoreham","date","2025-10-07T20:56:00Z","article","The New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee said it will circulate a near-final draft of the Corn Neck Road master plan to members after consultant GZA provides final edits, and discussed how grant deadlines should shape next steps.

“I'm just waiting for the last edits from GZA before I will send the draft master plan to the committee,” said Judy, Chair, Coastal Resilience Committee. She said a subcommittee of Mary, Nigel and Nora already reviewed and cleaned up the draft for distribution.

Committee members and Town staff said timing matters because several grants and reimbursements are coming due. Allison, Town Planner, said the town’s direct National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) award runs “through the end of this year, calendar year, 12/30,” and that she has requested an extension to June. She told the committee most of the project’s money is coming through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank Municipal Resilience Program (MRP) and that the town has not yet asked that lender for an extension but expects that will be possible.

Allison said the state included New Shoreham in a separate, state-level NFWF application this summer; the state expects to learn whether projects are awarded in November.

Why it matters: committee members said they want the council to see and respond to the draft master plan before the state’s NFWF awards are announced. That would give the committee and the public an explicit council endorsement or guidance before pursuing additional grant phases or implementation funding.

What the committee agreed: Judy said she will send the draft master plan and the presentation slides from the town council session electronically to committee members “in the next day or two,” and that she intends to press GZA to finish the edits. Town Manager Amy Land and staff said they will coordinate the council review and suggested inviting councilors to an upcoming community outreach meeting so they can see consultant visuals and ask questions.

Funding context: Allison told the committee that most of the technical work and conceptual designs need to be at an engineering-readiness level before larger implementation grants will be viable. She said some conceptual and engineering plans (for example, for Town Beach and Scotch Beach items) were ready and therefore were prioritized in early grant applications.

The meeting did not adopt new policies or spending; members recommended a staff-led working session or council review once the draft is distributed.

Votes and formal actions: at the start of the meeting the committee approved minutes from its Sept. 2 meeting (vote recorded in the transcript by voice as \"aye\"; specific tally not specified in the meeting transcript). The meeting later adjourned by motion and voice vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Coastal Resilience Committee","oneSentenceSummary","The New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee said it will circulate a near-final draft of the Corn Neck Road master plan to members after consultant GZA provides final edits, and discussed how grant deadlines should shape next steps.","taxTitle","New Shoreham, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79696,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427229,"Coastal committee flags need for staff and capital‑planning role as Sunrise Wind funding arrives",122,1611000,1489000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a&start=1611&end=1489","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a/thumbnail_1611000.jpg","/articles/6427229/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Coastal-committee-flags-need-for-staff-and-capitalplanning-role-as-Sunrise-Wind-funding-arrives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427229-b02d8f06e74c2962642fe535fd7b974f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776017541&Signature=mZfnN5bmrk0i3dh9hnvUN58EOdA3~Vtln802o3SX66WAnfhbME~QzfoNfundh-Be431pF8oPe0VDBIA~iaTQLUM7UhFe17J8jtmCbhf9T7BwEdkH3G7jN3MDk6yyzORj9mXZo7RbzNEKogdM0ziCpE~GC4Bs1mGp3IJf-LViKnuPpUARjXpufQ-SE6Ij750wqQopAzdfeCvWQ~MxFat0uoIBb0W7tT5hPvIULNKfV1xcVmeXY85MKtou-iOPvXx7bQNyc3c9JjtmX-FIk7IEAYby6kznHO7zF6ktvB-0Q9v3XovNZTx3c5-3KNHLxyui-qY1Xvy7pJb84C9xsdA3Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members told Town staff they want a clearer role in local capital planning so resilience priorities are included earlier in departmental capital requests.

Judy, Chair, Coastal Resilience Committee, asked that the committee be placed on the agenda during the capital‑budget cycle and said the committee wants to ensure resilience is “embedded in everything” rather than considered after budgets are set.

Members raised capacity concerns: several said the committee’s volunteer members and existing staff cannot absorb long-term technical and administrative work. “We may be needing to look at hiring people for some of this work,” a member said, noting the difficulty of expecting sustained volunteer leadership.

Staff and committee members also reviewed incoming consultant funding for resilience work. Judy said the town has a Sunrise Wind funding allocation that provides consultants $50,000 a year for five years; the next step is drafting the related request for qualifications or proposals.

Why it matters: Committee members said embedding resilience in the capital requests and hiring or budgeting for sustained staff capacity would make implemented projects more maintainable and reduce the risk that proposed designs are not supportable by town operations.

Next steps: Committee members asked staff to bring a draft process for how the committee can review the draft capital plan (targeted for December–January) and to consider where consultant support funded by Sunrise Wind might be used to fill technical gaps.

No new hires or budget approvals were made at the meeting.","Committee members urged embedding resilience in the town’s capital planning and discussed the limited staff capacity to steward grant-funded projects. Members noted an incoming consultant funding stream tied to Sunrise Wind and suggested using the town’s capital process to prioritize resilience projects.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427221,"Coastal resilience committee and conservation commission agree to improve coordination and early warning on CRMC applications",592,5044000,5636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a&start=5044&end=5636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a/thumbnail_5044000.jpg","/articles/6427221/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Coastal-resilience-committee-and-conservation-commission-agree-to-improve-coordination-and-early-warning-on-CRMC-applications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427221-6fe4b404a04744f7aaf72dcc51b36fbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1776017541&Signature=JWGLlKGl2H2vf2iGYGQrsZsmJOA0B79lG3Xhy0O8jhVevGv4lKXpNxYmceR6xi5DmIAl81pBQrIQhcEyk51lwzrTLwtaeBeaO24UmhQkhUyQPj5MateRC2uUqwYJwRGKIU~rv2YGB7-Qm0iCDKgfXnZQ-lLNYHdRQd7aLuwuGoVsiQuSezr7o9W-cCMP7G2QT3njmBbSFLXrSHzibfSpdLcRQflnY5Iejtk265LWxCh2QPDA0a5QJ6Ko75Ml6mrrVBQwM50L-XC-tkRyqIrVazfbgidiAxqLeTJc7szZE350oG79jLyIGdduWizVz3AznFAYfCw4eJE-RQnCiPEsdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Coastal Resilience Committee and the Conservation Commission agreed to strengthen coordination, share agendas and appoint liaisons so both bodies receive earlier notice of coastal permit applications and research findings.

Judy, Chair, Coastal Resilience Committee, proposed that each body name a member who will try to attend the other’s meetings and said committee staff will share agendas. “If we all had a better heads up when there's an application coming through to CRMC, it might help us avoid some of the heavy level of, of misunderstanding and, and sort of late to the game problem solving,” Judy said.

Members discussed a recent permit application they said had proceeded through CRMC staff review without broad local visibility; the groups said earlier review and information sharing could give both advisory bodies more time to provide technical context to the council and the public.

Sue Gibbons, a member of the Conservation Commission, said the strongest overlap between the two bodies is in advocacy, education and outreach, and noted that the conservation commission’s formal review role differs from the Coastal Resilience Committee’s advisory, research and outreach focus.

Staff identified practical steps: Lisa Turner (CRMC staff name referenced in the discussion) can provide full permit packets on request, the CRMC public comment window is short (about 30 days once an application posts), and the conservation commission and CRC will ask staff to forward CRMC listings and application packets to designated liaisons.

Why it matters: Earlier cross‑committee review of CRMC and other coastal permit activity could allow committee science and technical context to inform conservation commission advisories before public notices and council hearings.

Next steps: Committees agreed to exchange agendas, name liaisons, and lead with shared topics (marsh migration, Great Salt Pond protection, and community engagement) at upcoming meetings.","Members of the Coastal Resilience Committee and the Conservation Commission discussed closer coordination, sharing agendas, and a liaison system to monitor coastal regulatory (CRMC) permit applications and avoid late-stage surprises. The groups agreed to exchange meeting agendas and appoint liaisons.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427225,"GIS map and tide‑gauge analysis show areas of Block Island vulnerable to storm surge and rising tides",1293,2744000,4037000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a&start=2744&end=4037","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5906514-451cdb311fc6fa0db8e8b7665273453a/thumbnail_2744000.jpg","/articles/6427225/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/GIS-map-and-tidegauge-analysis-show-areas-of-Block-Island-vulnerable-to-storm-surge-and-rising-tides","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427225-70a92b2fb041e114235006af26595ba9/orig.mp4?Expires=1776017541&Signature=ZWvKJ-E4vb0HIEVirKHq0K7VP9-8icfgyMcDu3PZMuVspQ9NJND8YBwF67X3eAAlKdZJJFR5OWOJotQTCikC1xxv4zTaequlZb4BqBpnMJ6wRxEDJH~6shOV4T8BMOzbLMZJksCAvWC7Vrmp0C5mXT3Hfd0lX8856PmSdJ3VF5wbKGgcLTDojXWaGENIpvmWpkzMIiP7OuMo1Ly6QPjMeyH1nI1TgtwraTgJNE43FmTkIFba6KZejJsCACMullhltyOI64SRaqvo7mFpxhWaxaLOYXXMweAA45Sz0NL9QDN541PVcJ-bokZPF11r6Kq2z2MRtBo2Hc3VE1dFokNR1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A GIS-based mapping tool and a tide‑gauge analysis presented at the Coastal Resilience Committee meeting showed which streets and buildings on Block Island are most likely to flood from storm surge today and under projected sea‑level rise.

Jean Louis, a committee member who led the GIS work, demonstrated an interactive map that overlays protected lands, building footprints and projected water levels. He showed users how to toggle one‑, three‑ and five‑foot water levels and storm surge layers to see which structures and roads would be affected. “So every layer you can start to project, you have the 1 the 25 years, 2 feet and you can start to see some of the buildings start to be traded in the flood zone,” Jean Louis said.

Nigel, a committee member and tide‑gauge researcher, presented recent tide‑gauge data and used it to illustrate near‑term flood frequency. He said that when the historical high‑tide record is offset by a two‑foot sea‑level rise, the number of high‑tide flooding events would increase markedly. “If you count up the number, that would be 46 flooding events in this 3 month period,” Nigel said of a November–February sample period adjusted to a two‑foot rise.

Presenters noted differences between long‑term sea‑level projections and short‑term storm surge impacts. Jean Louis said his tool uses NOAA data and that a one‑foot rise is a commonly cited NOAA projection for a near‑term timeframe; other speakers cautioned that NOAA’s multi‑scenario projections have different timelines and that some scientific commentary points to different mid‑century timing for two‑foot scenarios.

Public outreach: Renee and other participants urged residents to document king tides and submit photos through the MyCoast app; Rhode Island Sea Grant ingests such citizen science submissions. The GIS tool’s creators and town staff discussed posting the viewer either on the town site or The Nature Conservancy’s website for public access.

Why it matters: The combined mapping and tide‑gauge work translates complex projections into place‑based visuals that residents and officials can use to prioritize resilience measures, target engineering work, and document current flooding.","A new GIS viewer and tide‑gauge analysis demonstrated how sea‑level rise and storm surge would flood streets and buildings in Block Island’s low‑lying areas. Presenters urged residents to document king tides using the MyCoast app and highlighted differences between projected sea‑level timelines and immediate storm surge risk.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New Shoreham committee awaits final edits on Corn Neck Road master plan as grant timelines approach

Coastal committee flags need for staff and capital‑planning role as Sunrise Wind funding arrives

Coastal resilience committee and conservation commission agree to improve coordination and early warning on CRMC applications

GIS map and tide‑gauge analysis show areas of Block Island vulnerable to storm surge and rising tides