KINGSTON, N.Y. — An effort to stem flooding along the city’s Rondout Creek waterfront will be launched this week.
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy and flooding that a storm surge brought along the Downtown creek, city officials are seeking a community-driven solution. A newly formed Waterfront Flooding Task Force will host a public meeting from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday in City Hall, 420 Broadway.
“The vulnerability of the waterfront was illustrated after Tropical Storm Irene (in August 2011) and once again last month by Superstorm Sandy,” Mayor Shayne Gallo said in a recent press release. “The city appreciates the willingness of waterfront businesses and property owners to work collaboratively to come up with strategies to make our waterfront more resilient to flooding.”
Gallo said the effort is “critical for reinforcing and expanding our efforts for economic development on the waterfront and ensuring safety for all.” A video of Gallo talking about the effort to minimize flooding can be viewed here. The task force includes representatives of the Trolley Museum and the Hudson River Maritime Museum, both of which are on East Strand near the creek, and restaurants, marinas and other businesses in the city’s Rondout district.
Thursday’s session is being sponsored by the city’s Conservation Advisory Council and Office of Economic Development and Strategic Partnerships, which is run by Gregg Swanzey. The two sponsors also will oversee consulting work by the Poughkeepsie-based environmental group Scenic Hudson, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Consensus Building Institute, with support from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The city’s planning and engineering offices will also assist.
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