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Wachapreague advances coastal resiliency planning and sewer options; public workshop planned
Summary
Council updates include a CFPF Coastal Resiliency Grant kickoff with consultants Weston & Sampson, a public workshop this summer and a six-month timeline for a draft plan; the discussion also covered running a sewer collection system that the town pump station could support.
The Wachapreague Town Council on May 14 heard progress updates on a coastal resiliency planning grant and preliminary sewer system considerations.
Councilman Bob Bilicki reported on the CFPF Coastal Resiliency Grant project and a kickoff meeting with the steering committee and consultant Weston & Sampson. The steering committee identified stormwater and tidal influence as the town’s top concern. Bilicki said consultants will hold a public workshop this summer to gather resident input; consultants will then incorporate feedback into a draft plan that Bilicki said should be ready in about six months and will include outlines and cost estimates that town officials can use to pursue state funding.
Discussion also addressed sewer system completion. Council members said the current pump station has capacity to support running a collection system throughout town so property owners could choose to tap in if they need to replace failing septic systems. No formal council action to obligate owners or fund a townwide hookup was taken; the matter was discussed as part of planning and engineering work tied to resiliency and infrastructure priorities.
Longtime resident Randy Powell told the council his experience with flood gates showed failures due to street overwash, suggesting that elevation changes might be required to make gates effective. Council members noted that engineers would evaluate options and that resilience measures may include a mix of structural and elevation solutions.
Council also discussed a proposed arrangement in which a property owner at 27 Atlantic Ave might receive funding to repair his bulkhead in exchange for granting a perpetual easement for waterfront access; that possibility was presented by the consultant team as an option to enable public access and fund repairs, and was not finalized.
The council scheduled the public workshop and expects to review the consultant’s draft when it is presented to the council in the coming months.
