Today, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management has released “Protecting the Public Interest through the National Coastal Zone Management Program: How Coastal States and Territories Use No-Build Areas along Ocean and Great Lake Shorefronts.” From NOAA: In the face of continued population growth and increasing economic activity along our nation’s coasts, more devastating […]
Tag Archives | regulations
San Francisco Bay Adopts Climate Change Regulations
Posted on October 11, 2011
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission has voted unanimously to pass a development plan for land within 100 feet of the bay’s coastline. The plan—which requires that decisions about land use in the area consider factors including the latest climate science and the importance of wetland restoration—gives the agency a tool to deny […]
Rolling Easements: Finally, a Long-Term Approach for Rising Seas and Coastal Erosion?
Posted on June 21, 2011
It’s not hard to get overwhelmed when considering your community’s current flood and erosion problems. Add in projections for what future climates will bring and it’s enough to make you want to just stay at home (at least until the sea comes into your home). Unfortunately, nobody has found a silver bullet to save coastal […]
Town of Hull Amends Zoning Bylaw to Reduce Flood Losses
Posted on May 12, 2011
In an attempt to lessen flood losses, the town of Hull has amended their zoning bylaw to consider not only current, but future conditions. Notable changes include: 1. A requirement that the town’s review process ensures that a proposed project won’t cause or worsen flooding on other properties (sounds like a good NAI approach). The […]
Massachusetts StormSmart Coasts Pilot Project Communities Now Online
Posted on April 7, 2011
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has added informational pages about each of their 2009-2011 StormSmart Coasts Pilot Projects. You can read about them here: * Boston – Coastal Inundation Mapping and Regulatory Review * Hull – Freeboard Incentive and Storm Surge Visualization * Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth – Coastal Hazards Awareness * Falmouth […]
Sea Level Rise and Beaches: Not a Pretty Combination
Posted on March 4, 2011
Orrin Pilkey, always a lightening-rod for coastal climate change issues, has written a gloomy forecast for the world’s beaches, and has the photos to justify his positions. He acknowledges that predicting the effects of sea level rise on beaches is complex, and that results will vary greatly depending on many factors. But overall, the picture […]
Model Bylaw for Managing Coastal Floodplain Development
Posted on November 5, 2010
Any of us who have worked in more than one coastal community know this simple truth: there’s no one-size-fits-all activity to make communities safer from storms and flooding. Geography and geology vary. Community goals and political climates vary. Organizational structures within communities vary (Do you have a mayor? A town manager? A Board of Selectmen?). […]
Oak Bluffs Passes Forward-Thinking Floodplain Regulation
Posted on November 2, 2010
The community of Oak Bluffs has joined Chatham (PDF) in passing a progressive bylaw that should help guide safe development in their coastal floodplains. Here’s the blurb from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s ever-useful CZ-Mail: On September 16, the Oak Bluffs Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to adopt special permit regulations (PDF, […]
Quick Proof that Building Codes Work [video]
Posted on October 27, 2010
The Institute for Business and Home Safety built a proper hurricane making machine, then constructed two homes in front of it. One was built to standard building codes, the other to their “Fortified for Safer Living” code. They turned the hurricane on and, well, you can see the results. Wow. Show this the next time […]
New Guidance for Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning
Posted on October 21, 2010
The Florida Department of Community Affairs and Florida Division of Emergency Management yesterday released its long-awaited Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities. [QUICK NOTE: while this is written for Florida, it’s likely to be useful for communities anywhere in the US.] From their announcement: Over the past four years the Department and the […]