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Campground owners and commissioners spar over proposed floodplain rebuild elevation
Summary
Business owners warned that changing rebuild elevation requirements from 1 foot to 2 feet above base flood elevation would be costly; the consultant clarified how 'substantial improvement' triggers elevation rules and commissioners agreed to review the language.
Business owners with facilities in flood-prone areas raised alarm about a provision in the draft that would require structures rebuilt after substantial damage to meet a 2-foot-above-base-flood-elevation standard.
A longtime campground owner warned that moving from a 1-foot federal baseline to a 2-foot local standard would impose substantial rebuilding costs and could jeopardize the ability to restore a damaged business. "Now you're saying it's 2 foot. That changes very daunting to take... one of your biggest businesses in the town of Braintree right now," the owner said.
Consultant Kyle Patz and other commissioners responded that the draft does not authorize new principal residential or commercial structures in special flood hazard areas; rather, the provision affects how substantial improvements or replacement after flood damage are handled. Patz explained that FEMA's base flood elevation sets a reference, and some local ordinances add freeboard (an extra foot or two) to manage flood risk. Commissioners agreed the issue warrants careful review and asked staff to clarify the rebuild-elevation language and the implications for existing businesses in the next draft packet.
