Piermont Taking Steps for Waterfront Resilience

From Scenic Hudson

Board of Trustees of the Village of Piermont has accepted the recommendations of the Piermont Waterfront Resilience Task Force—which spent the past year exploring ways to reduce risks to the village from accelerating sea level rise and the increased frequency of flooding and storm surges.

Heavy damages from recent storms provided impetus for task force

Following hurricanes Irene and Lee in 2011 and the historic damage of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Village of Piermont was motivated to address flooding risks and storm surges related to sea level rise. The village endured these storms without loss of life, but Superstorm Sandy was especially damaging—flooding 150 homes and causing many businesses to close for up to several months. The financial impact of Superstorm Sandy on Piermont was more than $20 million, or about $8,000 per village resident. Informal risk assessments suggested that the village in the coming decades could sustain much more damage, including many homes permanently impacted, destruction of critical infrastructure such as the sewage system and many village roads put at risk if no action was taken.

Task force sees opportunities to avoid risk, better respond to floods and storms and build community

To deal with sea level rise and promote ongoing waterfront revitalization, the village partnered with Scenic Hudson and the Consensus Building Institute to identify immediate steps the village could take to be better prepared for the next flood event as well. The task force also considered long-range options for adapting the riverfront community to conditions related to sea level rise along the Hudson River. This team effort was made possible by support from the the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Hudson River Estuary Program and other private funders.

Formally launched by Piermont Mayor Chris Sanders and the project partners in November 2013, the task force was comprised of municipal officials, concerned citizens and leaders in business and nongovernmental organizations. With input from the public and a range of stakeholders, the task force identified principles that will guide Piermont’s adaptation to current and future conditions. The goals the task force identified are: adapt gradually, avoid and minimize risks, help residents and businesses recover quickly from floods and storms, maintain the village’s relationship with the Hudson River, maintain a vibrant business district and local economy, foster and build community, be environmentally responsible, and be a model for other communities facing similar coastal hazards.

Task force recommendations

The task force made 24 recommendations focused on actions that tie immediate recovery needs to long-term adaptation goals. The task force prioritized the following recommendations as the most strategic to tackle first:

• Establish a permanent Flooding and Storm Resilience Committee to follow up on implementing the task force recommendations.
• Improve emergency communications.
• Incorporate task force findings/recommendations into the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
• Develop a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
• Work with local utilities to improve resilient infrastructure.
• Identify financing options, including grants, for supporting flood adaptation, mitigation and protection measures.

Scenic Hudson Senior Vice President Steve Rosenberg said, “Piermont’s officials, business and community leaders and dedicated citizens have shown great vision and leadership in generating these recommendations and so quickly moving to action. The task force recommendations can be used as an action plan for waterfront policy and planning updates, infrastructure investments and municipal operations that together will enablePiermont to be a safer, more vibrant and more resilient riverfront community.”

Village of Piermont Mayor Chris Sanders said, “Sea level rise is not an abstract notion for our village, but an intimate challenge that is growing more evident every year. One may debate the root cause, but it is undeniable that rising sea levels will impact the future of our village as more areas are covered by tidal water, and storms bring more flood damage to public and private property. Piermonters have learned to live with the Hudson River, and the recommendations of the task force outline tools that will enable our community to continue to thrive. I’m grateful to the members of the task force, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and its Hudson River Estuary Program for their support. A special thanks to Scenic Hudson and the Consensus Building Institute—the success of the task force would not have been possible without their facilitation.”

“It was impressive the way the task force took on the challenge of understanding the complexities and likely impacts of sea level rise, brainstormed potential solutions and then worked collaboratively to pull together a comprehensive suite of recommendations,” said Consensus Building Institute Senior Mediator Bennett Brooks. “Their commitment to the village, to each other and to a collaborative, constructive dialogue is a model to communities everywhere.”

Unique challenges in Piermont

Nestled between the northern extension of the Palisades and the Hudson River, Piermont is a village of approximately 400 acres and 2,500 residents. The village’s unique location on the bank of the Hudson River and the mouth of the Sparkill Creek is perhaps its greatest asset and also its leading challenge. The confluence of these waterways has attracted residents and commerce to the village but also increasingly presents risks of waterfront flooding and, in the long term, sea level rise.

Resources that made the task force effective

Funding and technical assistance were provided by the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, Scenic Hudson, the Consensus Building Institute and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Scenic Hudson offers riverfront communities along the Hudson an assortment of online resources (www.scenichudson.org/slr), including an interactive map for visualizing various scenarios of where future high tides and flood zones will reach and how communities and natural resources might be affected.

About Scenic Hudson

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley’s inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 65 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 35,000 acres. www.scenichudson.org