Adapting to Climate Change in Coastal Monmouth County Environmental Planning Studio Report Instructor: Clinton Andrews Spring 2012 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey 2012 Environmental Planning Studio Team Marcus Ferreira Christine Bell Katherine Nosker Michael Yaffe Michael D’Orazio Kyle Davis Albert Macaulay Zhuosi (Joyce) Lu Brian Gibbons b. Data Collection and Methods of GIS ...................29 Highlands Fiscal Impact Analysis ............................63 Appendices .................................................................102 c. Fiscal Impact Analysis Methods ...........................32 Highlands Flood Models ...........................................64 Works Cited ...............................................................103 Contents d. Interviews/Stakeholders ........................................37 Highlands Model: All Flood Events ...........................65 Appendix of Reference Tables ................................109 Case Studies .................................................................39 Highlands Model: 10 Year Storm Event ....................67 Appendix: Example of Fiscal Calculations Middlteown 10 Year Highlands Model: 50 Year Storm Event ....................69 Case Study 1: Sea Bright ...........................................40 Storm Event ...............................................................115 Highlands Model: 100 Year Storm Event ..................71 Physical Setting ...........................................................40 Appendix: Interviews ..............................................121 Highlands Model: 500 Year Storm Event ..................73 History..........................................................................41 Appendix: List of Tables, Figures, and Pictures ...132 Mitigation Strategies and Recommendations ........74 Demographics .............................................................41 Case Study 3: Middletown .......................................76 Master Plan Summary ................................................42 Acknowledgements ....................................................1 Physical Settting ..........................................................76 Historic and Current Mitigation Strategies ............43 Current Demographics ..............................................80 Executive Summary ......................................................2 Sea Bright Budget Summary .....................................44 Middletown Master Plan ..........................................80 Introduction ...................................................................5 Sea Bright School Budget ..........................................45 Middletown Flood Models ........................................84 a. Overview of Historical Coastal Development .....5 Recent Tax Rate Trends ..............................................45 Middletown Model: All Flood Events .......................85 Storm Events Timeline ........................................10 Sea Bright Flood Models ............................................46 Middletown Model: 10 Year Storm Event .................87 b. Sea Level Rise: .........................................................12 Sea Bright Model: All Flood Events ...........................47 Middletown Model: 50 Year Storm Event ................89 c. Definition of Mitigation and Adaptation ............12 Sea Bright Model: 10 Year Storm Event .....................49 Middletown Model: 100 Year Storm Event ...............91 d. Federal Law Overview ..........................................13 Sea Bright Model: 50 Year Storm Event .....................51 Middletown Model: 500 Year Storm Event ...............93 f. Mitigation Strategies and Best Practices ..............17 Sea Bright Model: 100 Year Storm Event ...................53 Mitigation Strategies and Recommendations ........94 g. Overview of Regulatory Framework in New Jersey 19 Sea Bright Model: 500 Year Storm Event ...................55 Mitigation Strategies and Recommendations ........56 Conclusions ..................................................................97 Legal Events Timeline .........................................20 Mitigation SWOT Analysis: .....................................98 Case Study 2: Highlands ..........................................58 Historical Events Timeline ..................................26 Fiscal Conclusions ......................................................99 Physical Setting ...........................................................58 Methods ........................................................................28 Specific Policy Objectives/Recommendations: .....100 History..........................................................................58 a. Case Studies ............................................................29 Additional Points of Research ................................101 Demographics and Land Use ...................................59 Monmouth County Coastal Hazard Mitigation Acknowledgements The studio would like to express its gratitude for the assistance provided by the follow- ing individuals, who volunteered their time and effort to support this studio and its final products. Gabrielle Barnett - Former Sea Bright Renter Scot Bell - Sea Bright Property Owner Dr. Cathy Folio - North Middletown Property Owner and Resident Jason A. Greenspan, PP, ACIP - Director of Planning and Community Development, Township of Middletown William J. Keeler - Councilman, Borough Sea Bright David Listokin, PhD - Professor, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rut- gers University, and Co-Director, Center for Urban Policy Research of Rutgers University Dina Long - Mayor, Borough of Sea Bright Margaret Murnane - Deputy Coordinator, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Management Norb Psuty - Professor, Coastal geomorphology, shoreline erosion, coastal zone manage- ment Stephanie Rinaldi - Port Monmouth, Middletown, Property Owner and Resident Thomas A. Thomas, PP - Former Planning Consultant to Highlands, Middletown and Sea Bright Charles Rogers Office of Emergency Management (“OEM”) - Middletown, NJ Sea Bright Public Library Staff Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library Staff *A special thank you to Dr. Clinton Andrews for his guidance and support throughout the semester, as well as Judd Schechtman for his assistance with national and state legis- lation and conduction of interviews. Highlands House Construction Credit: ScotMonmouth K. Bell County Coastal Hazard Mitigation 1 and the nation at large. In the past, without significant state that are 50% or more damaged by storms) would not be and federal aid, after having dune-side cottages repeatedly rebuilt. This scenario also assumes that FEMA would pick leveled by storms in the 1890’s the wealthy owners of Sea up 75% of debris removal costs. The Smaller Subsidy sce- Bright cottages opted for the only choice that the free mar- nario assumes that half of all substantially damaged prop- Executive Summary ket would allow: Inland relocation. Now ironically, those erties would rebuild. This scenario assumes that FEMA cally and in population that trebled in population follow- who seek continual aid for beach replenishment, sea wall would only pay 25% of debris removal costs, leaving towns ing of the construction of the New Jersey Parkway in the fortification and flood insurance policies that no private with 75% of these costs. This scenario was formulated to 1950’s. The inland portions of the town suffer from typical insurance actuary would issue—argue that government is demonstrate what would happen if FEMA made the policy suburban sprawl characteristics that impede the ability of imposing increasingly undue regulations on land develop- decision to provide less support to coastal towns. The fol- Coastlines are ever evolving, buffeted by the wind and the riverine floodplains from fully performing their natu- ment in exchange for these sums. lowing explains how each town fared for these storms and waves, and drifting with the currents. Often, the evolution ral functions. The coastal portions of the town include the scenarios: is gradual, seemingly imperceptible. However, occasion- The historical sections of this report detail seemingly ad fishing port of Belford and other densely populated areas ally, the evolution is accelerated by the onset of storms, nauseum how these towns have been historically battered • Highlands -Based on the fiscal impact analysis of 10, (Navesink, Leonardo and Fort Monmouth), subject to both which can eliminate islands, carve inlets into barrier beach- by the sea, dating as far back as the 17th century—prior to 50, 100, and 500 year storms for the Rebuild, Retreat, and coastal and riverine flooding. Here Jetties were built to es and completely flood low lying areas. In the New Jersey, significant influence on humanity on climate change. The Smaller Subsidy scenarios, Highlands consistently performs protect the port and more recently, the New Jersey DEP has there are records of this changing landscape and of human- intent is not to write a history tome, rather, it is to illustrate best in a retreat scenario. The equalized tax rate is lowest been hardening of the dunes to restore beaches along the ity’s attempts to resist it—lured by the sea and clinging to how these storms are not fluke events, and that the conse- for the retreat scenario for each storm considered, at 1.118 Bayshore. real property notions of