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City staff outline four flood‑mitigation grant applications, including Pioneer Dam removal and sewer‑plant work
Summary
Planning staff reported four pre‑applications cleared to full application—Pioneer Dam/Home Farm Way floodplain restoration (HMGP), Bailey Dam removal, three undersized culverts on Elm Street, and mitigation work at the Water Resource Recovery Facility—while one Country Club Road application remains contingent on developer participation.
Planning staff told the Montpelier Planning Commission that four of five discussed pre-applications for disaster-recovery and mitigation grants were authorized to proceed to full applications: floodplain restoration at Pioneer Dam/Home Farm Way, removal of Bailey Dam, replacement/enlargement of three undersized culverts on Elm Street and a mitigation package for the city’s Water Resource Recovery Facility (sewer plant).
Staff said the Pioneer Dam/Home Farm Way project has already secured Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) approval in principle and carries an 80/20 federal/state match; applying for additional state Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR/Doctor) funds could free state dollars for other projects. The sewer-plant mitigation package is a separate high-priority project staff described as roughly a $3,000,000 effort to elevate Dog River Road, construct a berm and add gate/closure systems to prevent catastrophic flooding of the facility.
Why it matters: The sewer plant sits just below flood elevations and staff said it is vulnerable: if floodwaters overtop the adjacent road, water could reach depths of about 11 feet inside the plant and disable treatment operations. Staff described the projects as high priority, state-supported mitigation work intended to reduce flood risk to essential infrastructure and properties.
Details staff provided - Pioneer Dam / Home Farm Way: staff said the project is already approved under HMGP with an 80% federal / 20% state cost share. The proposed work includes dam removal and floodplain restoration; staff said applying for state CDBG‑DR funds could serve as an additional or matching source to free state HMGP capacity for other projects. - Bailey Dam: staff described plans to remove the Bailey Dam near Shaw’s and said the planning office will work on that application with project partners. - Elm Street culverts: staff identified three undersized culverts along Elm Street, the nearest at Stump Dump near Finch Road, that are about half the size they should be and need enlargement or replacement. - Water Resource Recovery Facility mitigation: staff said the plant is effectively protected now by a road that acts as a levee but remains one inch below the 100‑year flood elevation; the package includes elevating Dog River Road, building a berm, installing a gate and a bypass system for influent/effluent pipes to limit floodwater ingress and protect operations. Staff estimated the mitigation package at roughly $3,000,000.
Funding and timelines - Staff said two of the four applications (Pioneer/Home Farm Way and the sewer-plant mitigation) are in good shape and that professional grant writers were assigned; the other two applications require more work and partnership with local groups including the River Conservancy. - The grant application deadlines are at the end of the month (staff said they were “pretty busy” preparing the submissions).
Outcome at the meeting: The commission received the planning update; staff said consultant grant writers will complete two applications and the planning office will write the other two. No formal vote was required for the status update.
