Boothbay Harbor Selectmen

Hamblen joins sea level rise study

KATRINA CLARK
Wed, 01/13/2016 - 10:45am
A recent meeting at the footbridge parking lot to determine the feasibility of an improvement project. The footbridge parking lot is one of the town-owned properties that will be directly impacted by the rise in sea levels over the next 50 to 100 years.From left: Selectmen’s Vice Chairman Bill Hamblen, Town Manager Tom Woodin, and Dan Courtemanch of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. KATRINA CLARK/Boothbay Register

    Boothbay Harbor Selectmen’s Vice Chairman Bill Hamblen is putting his degree in ocean engineering to good use, by joining the new Boothbay Harbor Sewer District's Steering Committee to study the future impact of sea level rise.

    Superintendent Chris Higgins came to the selectmen on Jan. 11 to request that a member of the town government join the committee. A $20,000 grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and a $5,000 match from the Sewer District are funding the study.

    “We know when sea levels rise in 50 to 100 years, there will be flooding,” Higgins said. “This study will give us the specific impacts, what buildings will be impacted, and where (flooding levels will be).”

    According to Town Manager Tom Woodin, the town has been considering such a study as well regarding the impacts on town-owned property, such as the footbridge, footbridge parking lot, whale park and fish pier.

    “It would be helpful for downtown business to know the results as well,” Woodin said.

    “The early maps show the sewer treatment plant will be impacted significantly,” Higgins said. “Also the Commercial Street and footbridge pump stations. This study will give guidance on what we can do now to limit the impact later.”

    Higgins said they are also requesting some business owners be on the committee. The process will be quick with a likely time commitment of three or four meetings over the space of a few months.

    “We want to know what it's really going to cost to take care of this,” Higgins said. Hamblen volunteered for the committee, stating that “from long ago and far away” he held a degree in ocean engineering.

    The selectmen agreed to Hamblen serving on the committee and suggested Woodin do some research on the town performing a similar study, to see if it would be worth using taxpayer money to do so. Woodin said he would also invite Bob Faunce of the Regional Planning Commission to a future selectmen’ meeting. Faunce is involved with the Sewer District's study.

    The selectmen meet next on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Town Office.

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