Save The Bay urges Newark to restore wetlands, cites groundwater flood risk and flags Maori Village proposal

Representatives from the regional nonprofit Save The Bay told the Newark City Council on Jan. 23 that the city is vulnerable to sea‑level rise and groundwater emergence and urged actions including wetland restoration and zoning overlays to protect people, property and habitat.

Laura (Save The Bay) said the organization produced a 52‑point municipal scorecard and that Newark earned 13 of 52 possible points, noting the city has taken some steps — for example hiring a consultant to prepare a vulnerability assessment — but has substantial room for additional policies. Save The Bay emphasized that groundwater rise, where seawater pushes inland and raises shallow groundwater and causes emergent flooding away from the shoreline, is a major local concern.

Why it matters: Groundwater emergence can flood roads, utilities and buildings that are not on the shoreline and can worsen routine storm flooding. Save The Bay said that nature‑based protections such as tidal marsh restoration can provide long‑term, cost‑effective flood resilience and also create habitat and carbon sequestration benefits.

Laura and her colleague Amy Beth Willis asked the council and staff to consider two principal policy approaches: restore and protect tidal marsh and mudflats where feasible, and adopt zoning overlay districts that map likely future flood areas and require building and infrastructure standards that reduce risk. They also said that state funding programs often prioritize nature‑based solutions such as wetlands restoration.

In public comment, Amy Beth Willis specifically raised concern about a proposed development referenced as the “Maori Village” project, saying the site could be restored to tidal marsh and that building housing there would place future residents and infrastructure at risk if sea level and groundwater rise proceed as projected. Willis urged council members to consider how development proposals interact with long‑term flood resilience and noted that some technical fixes (building standards alone) would not fully protect critical lifelines such as water, sewer and emergency roads in deeply vulnerable areas.

Save The Bay cited maps from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) showing high‑end sea‑level rise scenarios and asked the city to consider the group’s report card recommendations and to accept further technical assistance; both speakers offered to share their presentation slides with the city clerk for staff review.

Meeting context: The remarks were delivered during the public comment portion of the Jan. 23 meeting. No council action was taken at the meeting on Save The Bay’s recommendations or on the Maori Village project; the speakers asked the city to place related materials on file and to engage staff and the council in future hearings on flood resilience and land‑use decisions.