The Town of St. Michaels is moving forward with proactive measures to mitigate rising tides. The Commissioners of St. Michaels have recently approved a set of ambitious recommendations from the newly empaneled Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission. The CC/SLR Commission has identified priority projects based on long range predictions outlined in a report from GMB Engineers/Architects. The study predicts increasing tide levels over the next 30 years that will cause serious flooding along the Town’s waterfronts.
CC/SLR Chairman Roy Myers presented the aggressive project schedule to the Town Commissioners on August 25th. The Commissioners have approved the plan and will be working with the CC/SLR Commission to secure the necessary funding and grants to move the plan forward. Engineering studies will be underway over the next year and will be followed by the following specific projects:
2023 to 2025 Projected Timeframe
• Construction of E. Chew/W. Harbor Road Improvements
• Begin Phased construction of Honeymoon Bridge, Harbor walkways, Burns, Mill and
Cherry Streets Master Plan.
• Grant and Engineering Design completed for Muskrat Park and Church Street area.
• In conjunction with adjacent properties, complete strategies/plans for Mulberry Street,
Westside Harbor residents, Carpenter Street and San Domingo Town residents.
2025 to 2030 Projected Timeframe
• Complete Construction of Muskrat Park Improvements
• Complete Engineering Studies for Mulberry Street and Carpenter Street
• Complete construction of Master Plan – Construction for Honeymoon Bridge, Harbor
walkways, Burns, Mill and Cherry Streets
• Complete Engineering Plans for San Domingo/Back Creek harbor side of St. Michaels.
• Assist Westside Harbor residents in their plans as appropriate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A COPY OF THE GMB STUDY, CONTACT THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR ROB STRAEBEL AT: rstraebel@stmichaelsmd.gov or more information HERE.
Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission BayLand Presentation at Community Input Session on March 16, 2023
Anna Johnson, Project Engineer with BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc., held a community input session with a power point presentation on “San Domingo Creek and West Side Stormwater and Harbor Infrastructure Assessment and Flood Mitigation Study”. This informative presentation can be found HERE. BayLand is interested in your feedback regarding flooding concerns, areas of peak interest, and any mitigation solutions you would like to see implemented. Please visit this link, complete the attached form and return it to Anna Johnson, PE at ajohnson@baylandinc.com.
GMB Community Input Session Open House for West Harbor Road/East Chew Avenue Sea Level Rise and Stormwater Flooding Conceptual Design on March 30, 2023
Brent Jett, P.E., CFM, CC-P, Sr. Project Manager/Coastal Resiliency Group Leader (and author of the initial Harbor and Stormwater Infrastructure Study) along with other Architects/Engineers with George, Miles & Buhr, LLC (GMB), held an open house on “Resiliency Through Restoration: West Harbor Road/East Chew Avenue Flood Mitigation Feasibility Assessment and Conceptual Design” to allow the community to ask questions and provide crucial community input, while taking time to better understand this study. An aerial view depicting the area of interest for this study may be viewed HERE. GMB is interested in your feedback regarding flooding concerns, areas of peak interest, and any mitigation solutions you would like to see implemented. Please visit this link, complete the attached survey and return it to Brent Jett, PE at bjett@gmbnet.com.
St. Michaels Preparing for Nuisance Flooding
Andrew Thaler, from the Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission and developer of the St. Michaels Floodwatch, and Kate Vogel, from Maryland DNR and MyCoast web application, have presented both the Floodwatch project and MyCoast app during Lunch and Learn sessions at both the Talbot County Library St. Michaels and Easton branches. More recently, they were interviewed by WBOC’s Lauren Miller to explain how their interactive technology is helping to prepare and educate our communities about nuisance flooding along the Eastern Shore. Please take a moment to watch this interview by clicking on the attached link HERE.
St. Michaels Awarded Flooding & Stormwater Mitigation Project Grant
The Town of St. Michaels has been awarded another large grant to tackle the threat of rising sea levels. Working with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, the Town has secured a $210,000 federal grant. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved this grant money for the Town’s Harbor Flooding and Stormwater Mitigation Project.
This federal grant follows two state grants amounting to $115,000. These grants from the Department of Natural Resources are currently funding concept designs for two flood-prone areas.
The grants are the results of efforts by the Town’s Climate Change/Sea Level Rise Commission which was empaneled in the summer of 2021. Commission Chair Roy Myers says, “This latest grant builds upon our current efforts to complete the concept designs for flooding mitigation in our main harbor areas. We are grateful to MDEM and FEMA for their support and are looking forward to working with them on the implementation of this grant.”
St. Michaels Commissioners President David Breimhurst says, “This is terrific news for St. Michaels and for Talbot County. St. Michaels is home to the County’s second largest employer and is the primary source of the County’s multi-million-dollar tourism industry. Protecting our Town from the threat of sea level rise is our top priority. We congratulate and thank Mr. Myers and his commission for the many hours of hard work that have paid off with these significant grants.” The CC/SLR Commission’s work has become a vital element of the town’s long range plans and will help shape the Town’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan. The Commission has been reaching out to the public for guidance and is providing updated information. Recently, the state Department of Natural Resources partnered with the CC/SLRC, linking its online MYCOAST tool with the St Michaels Floodwatch website. The Floodwatch interactive tool was created by Commission member Andrew Thaler and can be found online at http://stmichaelsfloodwatch.com. There is also a link on the town website, stmichaelsmd.gov Residents can use the tool to understand how their Talbot County properties might be affected by sea level rise projections. Roy Myers says, “It is a graphic view of why the town needs to plan today for tomorrow’s sea level rise and stormwater flooding.”
