Posted on August 8, 2022
The Town of North Beach reached two milestones last month in its long-term effort to address the community’s recurring coastal and stormwater flooding.
On July 13, Town officials hosted principals from BayLand Consultants and Designers in an initial tour of the community to examine the flood-prone areas—along the waterfront and inland—and survey the current infrastructure and environmental surroundings that contend with storm and tidal drainage.
The BayLand firm, which is based in Hanover, MD, was awarded a contract from the Town last month to develop a compound flood action plan—namely, structural and engineering solutions to relieve the dual impact of coastal and stormwater flooding. A $75,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is funding the project. Engineers and planners from BayLand will be onsite throughout the summer to complete the assessments and studies required for this plan. Town officials are currently working with BayLand to arrange an open meeting for residents to provide input for the analysis.
In addition, on July 14 the Town Council unanimously approved awarding a contract totaling approximately $280,000 to upgrade the pumping station that serves the 5th Street corridor, one of the areas hardest hit with recurring flooding problems. The contract, which calls for two high-performance pumps and a separate control station to be installed in the enclosures near the Welcome Center, was awarded to Tri-Phase Services Inc., of Maryland after a rigorous bidding process. A portion of the funding for this project comes from a $95,000 grant from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). The project is expected to get underway after the MDE completes its customary review of the contract and the bidding procedures, a process that is expected to take 6-8 weeks.
“Finding solutions for the flood problems we have now and what we will face in the future has been a primary focus of the Town for several years,” said Town Council member Lauren Kabler. “The new pump system at 5th Street will have an immediate benefit. The Town-wide plan that BayLand is developing will be a roadmap for us on the big infrastructure fixes needed in the future—as well as a means to compete for grants and other funds,” she said.
