SALISBURY — Town Manager Neil Harrington has hired consultants to review the newest changes in Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood insurance maps to see if there are scientific grounds to challenge the new map boundaries that will raise the flood insurance rates on coastal properties.
The newly proposed FEMA flood insurance map for Essex County will affect local property owners in beachfront and riverfront communities. Some owners who have never been included in risky flood zones before will now be in the highest risk flood velocity zones and flood level elevations, according to the new maps.
If accepted, the draft maps will result in possibly sharp rises in flood insurance required by mortgage holders, as well as make building requirements more stringent and expensive on those properties.
Although property owners can guard against cost increases somewhat by purchasing insurance before the maps are approved — thus being "grandfathered" at current zone and elevation levels — the new maps can have a costly impact on local property in the future.
The only thing that can stop the implementation of the new maps is challenging the science behind them, according to the state and federal FEMA officials.
Newburyport and Newbury are also affected by the new maps, Harrington said, but those communities have "thrown up their hands and said there's nothing we can do about it." Harrington feels strongly that's not the best way to protect the Salisbury community.
Although officials assured the town last week that the new maps are based on new, strong flood-related data from engineering studies, Harrington isn't willing to take their word for it.
"I believe the town has an obligation to undertake at least a preliminary analysis of FEMA's methodology as it relates to how the new maps were developed. I feel strongly about this," Harrington told selectmen at their recent meeting. "I have contracted with Vine Associates to do a review of the draft maps. The goal of the analysis is to identify potential errors and unrealistic assumption or results, as well as to determine whether FEMA's consultants used methodologies that do not conform to standard guidelines and requirements for wave height or flood level determination."
The cost of Vine's preliminary review is $4,000, he said. If significant reasons to challenge FEMA's new map are found, the consultants would give Harrington an estimate of the cost to perform the work needed to mount a challenge.
If the cost is more than the town can afford, Harrington plans to approach both commercial and residential property owners along the beach and river to see if they will help raise the money needed to do the necessary research.
Harrington said there is no way of knowing what the cost will be, but with decreasing town revenues and another possible cut in local aid of $76,000, Salisbury's struggling budget can't handle spending a lot more on the project.
Last week, FEMA posted a legal notice in the paper alerting the public to the new map. When FEMA's second legal notice appears in The Daily News this week, the 90-day appeal period starts, Harrington said.
As soon as he has a report from Vine on the preliminary review, Harrington plans to share it with selectmen and the Salisbury community.
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