New Jersey Future Blog
Workshops, Online Feedback Generate Ideas To Help Make Raritan Bay More Resilient
February 7th, 2014 by Steve Nelson
Rebuild by Design, an initiative of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is aimed at addressing structural and environmental vulnerabilities that Hurricane Sandy exposed in communities throughout the region, and at developing implementable solutions to protect residents more effectively from future climate events.
Attendees at Rebuild by Design’s Raritan Bay workshop.
Sasaki Associates, leading one of the 10 Rebuild By Design teams, conducted a public workshop for the inland Raritan Bay area in Keansburg on Jan. 30 to gather more public input on how to rebuild Sandy-devastated areas in smarter, more resilient ways. Enthusiastic participants offered their perspectives on three topics: water, recreation/open space and community. Attendees offered the Sasaki team members suggestions on how to create more open space, what flood mitigation strategies they preferred, opinions on the various communities that are present in the area, and ideas on how their region should be rebuilt.
Among the ideas discussed:
- Connect the Henry Hudson trail to local parks
- Develop open space for recreation
- Enhance flood control gates along the creek
- Dredge the Waackaack Creek
- Create a boardwalk along the bay.
This community workshop is part of the design phase of a four-part process. After the 10 teams were selected, they spent three months researching best practices and existing conditions in the region. The design phase will wrap up in March when final design proposals will be presented. In April, HUD will select one or more designs for implementation.
The Sasaki team also unveiled an online feedback tool that asks participants to share their opinions and prioritize what actions should be taken, and what funds expended, to rebuild along the Jersey Shore. All are invited to submit responses.
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Looking forward to some well conceived and detailed plans to help green infrastructure near waterfront and flood areas. Interested in plans that will help middle class housing along the Bayshore. Perhaps, ground level only storage or garage that can be emptied during emergencies. Challenges to make Master Plan and development ordinances to be synchronized with what we have learned and what we can expect in the future.