Upcoming Public Engagement Opportunities

Planning Commission Presentation

Wednesday, January 8th  |  4pm Planning Commission Meeting  |  Presentation
A presentation to the Planning Commission offers an additional opportunity for residents to hear from the Resilience Planning Team.

FEMA BRIC | SLR Adaptation & Resilience Plan

Background

Weston & Sampson, alongside McCormick Taylor and Elko Coastal Consulting have been contracted to assist the Town in crafting a plan that will align with the goals and objectives of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan 2018 – 2028, particularly in regards to the Resiliency & Sea Level Rise Element. The Town has identified two overarching goals that this Resilience Plan process will bring into focus:

1. develop mitigation strategies to prepare for future hazards associated with sea level rise and other threats from climate change, including the increasing intensity and duration of storms, which can produce life-threatening storm surge; and,
    
2. align these strategies with existing local and regional plans to enable eligibility of future federal and state grant opportunities (for capital improvement projects: drainage, water/sewer, renourishment, etc.)  

To this end, the SLR Adaptation & Resilience Plan will develop a suite of strategies from projects to policies that will serve to guide the Town as we navigate rising seas and other environmental stressors. 

Project Phases

The first kick off meeting between Town staff and the consultants occurred in April of 2024, with an estimated date of completion set for the summer of 2025.

PHASE I  |  Data Gathering & Public Outreach

In the first phase of the planning process, the team will…

• Conduct interviews with Town staff, first responders, and key stakeholders
• Conduct a second round of interviews for a total of over 30 individuals, including residents and regional leaders
• Document and code feedback from interviews for inclusion in the project goals
• Review Town of Sullivan’s Island’s pertinent plans and highly relevant regional and statewide plans
• Compile & visualize sea level rise data and associated impacts
• Compile all available data on existing storm drainage system (see Stormwater Master Plan project page)

By the end of Phase I, the consultants will conduct a public open house to gather more general feedback before launching into Phase II.

PHASE II  |  Draft Plan Development

In the second phase of the resilience planning process, the team will… 

• Develop goals and vision for the plan
• Conduct in-depth GIS analysis and flood modeling
• Create an ArcGIS Story Map for interactive use by residents
• Identify 10 key strategies for adaptation
• Forecast cost estimates and analyze priority rankings for the 10 identified adaptation strategies
• Outline funding sources and feasibility for implementation
• Coordinate and facilitate public engagement to present key findings and receive feedback

PHASE III  |  Final Plan Publication

In the final phase of the project, the team will… 

• Coordinate revisions with Town staff
• Provide a presentation on the final Plan to key stakeholders
• Present the final plan to Town Council

The published plan should be ready in the summer of 2025 to guide Town Council for many years to come.

Upcoming Public Engagement Opportunities

Open House & Town Council Presentation

Monday, December 2nd  |  5-6pm Open House  |  6:15pm Presentation to Town Council
Please join the Town of Sullivan’s Island along with our Resilience Planning Team members from Weston & Sampson, McCormick Taylor, and Elko Coastal Consulting for an open house and presentation to Town Council of the initial stages of the Resilience Plan and what to expect as the project progresses.

Town staff and the Town’s consultants will be on hand to answer any questions and hear your input!