Engineer outlines Market Street tide‑gate plan; council moves project forward

During the October council meeting, Sean Martin, principal engineer at Fussin O'Neil, presented a localized tide‑gate proposal for Market Street near J & J Cleaners and the Crossroads Pub aimed at reducing nuisance flooding from king tides and tidal surges.

Martin said the study focused on that specific area, not the entire community, and described the gate as a resilient rubber valve that opens when upstream pressure exceeds the downstream tide and prevents cove water from surging back upstream. "This is not gonna be a long term solution," Martin said, adding the system can be removed or adapted in the future for a more comprehensive response as sea level and local conditions evolve. He estimated the tide‑gates might provide benefit for roughly 10 years depending on climatic trends.

Councilors repeatedly pressed whether installing tide gates would simply push water into other parts of the watershed. Martin replied that while the watershed is interconnected, the device's principal effect is to stop cove tidewater from backing into the river; during major storms the street would still be overtopped. After the technical discussion, a motion to move the project forward was made and approved by the council.

The council noted the project is not a permanent fix and emphasized coordination with RIDOT and existing roadway projects; Martin said the town's grant for the work remains valid through January 2026 and that DOT repaving plans and CRMC permits are separate items that will affect implementation timing.

The project will proceed to the next design and permitting steps and staff will coordinate funding and public information as work advances.