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Westbrook committee reviews coastal resiliency plan, identifies short-term fixes and funding paths
Summary
RLW presented a coastal resiliency plan review to the Westbrook committee, which identified priority sites for short-term repairs, planned site walks, and discussed grant opportunities including FEMA BRIC and LIS programs. The committee authorized a letter supporting the My Coast CT app and noted a stormwater mapping proposal remains cost-prohibitive.
David Murphy of RLW presented the Town of Westbrook’s coastal resiliency plan review at the April 14 meeting, outlining funding options discussed at a recent Sea Grant workshop and referencing FEMA’s BRIC notice of funding.
Murphy highlighted components of the Four Shore Plan and identified priority sites where stormwater and road elevation interactions are producing chronic flooding. He said West Beach/Coral Sands needs immediate attention — including cleaning a clogged pipe and evaluating road- driveway elevations — and that he, Ron Botelho, Peter Gillespie and John Riggio will walk that area to recommend interim repairs before longer-term work is designed.
Murphy and committee members also flagged Old Mail Trail, Middle Beach and Route 1 for further study and engineering. The presentation slides will be shared with committee members, Murphy said, and staff noted that a Jacobson and Sanborn proposal for stormwater mapping is still under review after initial estimates proved cost-prohibitive.
Peter Gillespie briefed the committee on upcoming funding deadlines and programs that could support these projects, including the LIS Resilience Planning Support Program, the LIS Futures Fund (deadline 5/19/26) and FEMA BRIC (application window noted with a target of 7/1/26). Gillespie also said the Zoning Regulations Subcommittee will reconvene to consider resiliency regulation updates.
The committee authorized Peter Gillespie to forward a letter of support for Connecticut Sea Grant’s NFWF application to offset costs for the My Coast CT app; any town contribution would be decided at a later date. The operating and capital budgets were noted to be scheduled for a public hearing on April 22, 2026.
