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Residents alarmed after new FEMA flood map; town discusses $120,000 second-phase study to contest change
Summary
Residents and board members described a recent FEMA map update that expanded the floodplain and could require flood insurance or limit redevelopment; the town described a phase-1 review and said a second-phase study to document wetlands and floodplain boundaries could cost about $120,000.
Residents raised concerns on April 13 about a recent FEMA map update that town staff and residents say newly designates areas along Hammond Lane and other corridors as floodplain, potentially triggering flood-insurance requirements and development limits.
A resident referenced notices from mortgage holders and said the new map could require flood insurance where it was not previously required. A Select Board member described the town’s response: an initial phase-1 review (reported as about $9,000) found no new studies in town files; the next step would be a second-phase technical study to redefine wetlands and floodplain boundaries, and the town received a consultant quote for roughly $120,000 to perform that work.
The board discussed the implications for redevelopment and tax revenue in areas the new map covers; a resident asked whether local factors such as beaver activity and clogged culverts — which can affect localized flooding — had been considered in FEMA’s remote analysis. Board members said such local site conditions could be added to consultant work if negotiations with FEMA proceed.
The board did not approve consultant funding at the meeting but acknowledged the issue as significant and outlined next steps for technical documentation and negotiation.
