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Select Board authorizes BRIC letter of intent for flood mitigation near Mayo Complex
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Summary
The Select Board authorized staff to submit a letter of intent for a BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant to fund flood mitigation near the Rugby Pitch/Mayo Complex/Water Street, including a FEMA buyout, Norwich coordination, and scoping/engineering to fortify Water Street; estimated project cost discussed at $500k–$600k with a typical 25% local match.
The Northfield Select Board voted to authorize the development director to submit a letter of intent for a BRIC grant aimed at flood mitigation near the Rugby Pitch, Mayo Complex and Water Street.
Tom (the development director) told the board the proposal has three components: continued support for Norwich’s flood mitigation near the rugby pitch, offering a FEMA buyout option to the owner of a remaining Riverside house on Water Street, and performing a full scoping and engineering study to fortify Water Street by the Mayo Complex (with the stated goal of enabling potential future senior housing or memory care at that site). The director said the first‑stage application (letter of intent) is nonbinding and will determine whether the town can advance to a full application if invited.
Estimated project costs were described in discussion as “somewhere in the vicinity of $500,000–$600,000.” The board discussed possible local match sources, including using ARPA funds for the required 25% cost share. The development director said Norwich may contribute to the match (an off‑the‑record estimate of roughly 15% of the project was mentioned) and noted stacking opportunities with other state or federal funds.
Board members asked about timing, the components that would be covered, and whether Norwich would participate; staff said the letter of intent deadline would be in mid‑April and that a subsequent invitation would be needed to submit a full application. The board voted unanimously to authorize submission of the letter of intent so the town could enter the queue to pursue the BRIC funding.
