Corte Madera wins FEMA grant to fund Marina Village berm design; town plans outreach and preliminary surveys

Corte Madera Town has been selected for a FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance grant to fund the design phase of improvements to the Marina Village berm, public works staff said April 14. The grant award covers $887,000; with a required local match the town projects the total initial budget at about $1.2 million.

The grant will fund early design work including environmental analysis, topographic and geotechnical surveys and up to roughly 60% design, a public works staff member said. “Once we're formally awarded, there's usually a request for authorization, and that date is when we can start billing to it,” the staff member said. The town expects to respond to FEMA requests for information before a formal award and projected starting steps with a consultant by fall.

Why it matters: Marina Village sits behind a low berm and has shown overtopping and street flooding at recent king tides. The design-phase work is intended to identify feasible options, environmental constraints and permitting needs before the town proceeds to construction.

Public works staff said the initial FEMA grant scope prioritizes environmental compliance and design work rather than permits for construction, and anticipates significant public outreach because the berm is adjacent to private backyards. “We anticipate a lot of public outreach as part of this,” a public works staff member said, noting the barriers are close to residences and stakeholders will be engaged in alternatives analysis.

Town officials planning the project told the board they expect the FEMA award process to take time and said a realistic internal target for a formal award would be in July, with a consultant on board by October or November. The project application includes about $100,000 for geotechnical work, and the FEMA grant scope requires completion of design and environmental compliance within three years to draw the grant funds.

A resident who lives in Marina Village urged the board to consider lower-impact, temporary or simple structural measures that may be effective for the next 20 to 40 years, such as raising the berm two to three feet where feasible and using low-profile retaining approaches that minimize wetland impacts. A public works staff member said the town will evaluate such concepts during design while remaining constrained by environmental regulations and permitting.

The town held a “king tide” pop-up outreach in December to show residents high-tide conditions in Marina Village and adjacent low spots; staff presented photographs showing water close to the current berm crest and water entering yards and streets at a 7.5-foot tide at one event. Officials said the outreach helped inform preliminary design priorities and that they plan additional community meetings during the design phase.

Funding and next steps: staff said the $313,000 local match would likely come from the town's quarter-cent sales tax measure dedicated to capital projects, not the general fund. After formal grant award and authorization, the town intends to hire a design consultant, complete surveys and environmental compliance, and hold public outreach to develop alternatives. No construction timeline or construction funding was approved at the meeting.

Board members said they will track survey and design milestones and requested regular updates as outreach and design proceed.