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Sea Level Rise & Resilience Plan

The Saltmarsh at High Tide

FEMA BRIC | SLR Adaptation & Resilience Plan

Upcoming Presentation to Town Council

Tuesday, September 16th  |  6:00pm  |  Council Meeting 

Resilience & Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan Strategies

To read the final draft of the Resilience Plan as it will be presented for Town Council's review in August, click on the image above or use this link:
Sea Level Rise Adaptation & Resilience Plan (PDF)

 

Project 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 | COMPLETE

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 | NEAR COMPLETION

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 | BEGUN

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.

Past Public Engagement Opportunities

Town Council Presentation

Tuesday, August 19th  |  6:00pm Town Council | Presentation
You can review the discussion at this link.

Presentation slides are available by clicking the image below.

Planning Commission Presentation & Open House

Wednesday, May 14th  |  4pm Presentation to the Planning Commission Followed by an Open House
Following a presentation to the Planning Commission and discussion, the Resilience Plan team lead an open house to share progress and gain residents' feedback. You can review the discussion at this link.
Take the survey at any time by clicking on the image below.


You can review the presentation and its discussion at this link.

Council Workshop Presentation

Monday, July 7th  |  6:00pm  Council Workshop | Presentation
You can review the discussion at this link.

Planning Commission Presentation

Wednesday, January 8th  |  4pm Planning Commission Meeting  |  Presentation
You can review the discussion at this link.

Open House & Town Council Presentation

Monday, December 2nd  |  5-6pm Open House  |  6:15pm Presentation to Town Council
You can review the presentation and discussion at this link.