[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6566470,"mediaKeyId","3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2","parentId",3204930,"title","Committee reports: ordinance ideas from other island towns, energy transition meeting May 20, and outreach plans","audioSeconds",777,"startMs",1755000,"endMs",2532000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2&start=1755&end=2532","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2/thumbnail_1755000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6566470/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-reports-ordinance-ideas-from-other-island-towns-energy-transition-meeting-May-20-and-outreach-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566470-bf8a0d4a8936eab40c36c43655ad13dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139596&Signature=S2rPqO8FBLg4zZS~GKXZ00AaV2STRcj8Ek0cwID6v3kWWW68Q7v~SIUWrlmOjJm3jk1VPqrJKYVp6iPb9WH1VJnWGim3iLmWjDqdqstf5ERwMfyI~jaYsZr~iw-J3fMXl6qJ~~D-3waT7JH8C~r52GFOad5B3KxVCP6CgUVGAvrHVVlM3XzbMlGKIYaGVfKrLIliAKSynV3kjsj113rCvzi4uQHQuSwQIUBdFVbv2BgYe4Yzsl~S4ropQUF4u8vUHDCQIGiPdYA4JJ3xiz5MHmNSTkrgLxIcrf0z0Bl9ceF~usJNSFQVoTEyFX7B0eXSEgu1xfmUrEXdj180Rf5ncg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of New Shoreham","date","2025-05-07T08:43:08Z","article","Committee working groups reported recent outreach and policy research and urged members to attend upcoming energy and climate meetings.

Ordinance and inter‑community outreach

Committee member Sasha (identified in the meeting as Miss Souza) reported contacting several island communities including Nantucket and Vinalhaven/Bridgton (referred to in the transcript as Bridal Haven / Vineyard Haven exchanges) to learn mitigation and ordinance approaches. Souza summarized bullet points sent by counterparts and recommended several measures under consideration elsewhere:

- phased relocation of structures and limits on new development in the most vulnerable shoreline areas;
- revised setback standards and allowances to elevate existing and redeveloped structures (the recommendation included allowing preexisting houses relief and a suggested 3‑foot elevation allowance for some existing structures);
- requirements or phased requirements for applicants to submit site‑specific flood‑hazard information and future sea‑level‑rise analysis as part of development applications;
- increased vegetative buffers for new construction (a target of 100 feet was discussed) and policies to discourage extensive turf in favor of native vegetation;
- flexible or cluster design approaches for development to preserve open space and reduce exposure.

Souza said Bridal Haven provided a detailed 2020 sea‑level‑rise report covering economic impacts, FEMA mapping, infrastructure and citizen science; she proposed continued three‑way information sharing between New Shoreham, Nantucket and Bridal Haven.

Energy and outreach events

Committee members emphasized the May 20 presentation of Energy Transition Initiatives Partnership (ETIP) results at 4 p.m., described by one member as “arguably, the most important meeting of the year energy wise.” Members encouraged attendance to shape shared ownership priorities for the island utility district and said the ETIP presentation explains complex energy systems in accessible terms. The group also noted a virtual Rhode Island climate/energy meeting this Friday focused on energy policy.

Committee planning and next steps

Members confirmed a special meeting with the URI Coastal Institute on May 30 to discuss the possibility of designating Block Island as a climate‑response demonstration site, and agreed to retain the regular June 3 meeting for summer outreach planning. A committee member urged the group to consider allocating budget for public outreach materials such as infographics and graphic design ahead of summer events.

Ending

Members thanked colleagues who staffed Earth Day outreach tables and said they will continue cross‑jurisdictional coordination and public engagement work ahead of the Corn Neck Road public meeting and ETIP presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Coastal Resilience 5/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members reported outreach and ordinance research from communities including Vinalhaven and Nantucket, highlighted possible zoning tools (setbacks, vegetation buffers, flexible/cluster design), and urged broad participation in the Energy Transition Initiatives Partnership (ETIP) presentation on May 20.","taxTitle","New Shoreham, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79696,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6566475,"Town planner: New Shoreham shortlisted for state stormwater assistance; Corn Neck Road public meeting set for May 15",217,1081000,1298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2&start=1081&end=1298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2/thumbnail_1081000.jpg","/articles/6566475/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Town-planner-New-Shoreham-shortlisted-for-state-stormwater-assistance-Corn-Neck-Road-public-meeting-set-for-May-15","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566475-dad307cc7539d8c388afddf2745cb6c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139596&Signature=hNmR5nXPdmpIe4K4Eez7tQBbNYQG6BU1Mk9MytUrJ3m2-zDLH~YEnjP~UMMGj-ZADMD8Qms5ZyM1ie2F6-ikfs7YJYxzJ-Zcav16-~ByhHN2Kv-WfUHyKwdu0kqT1ZYj2-7Z8SARCKa2aCp67~YoAf7BJnZRjZt5iZDAXRyHMfvasmrejh2HQSIZMtiuOpn8aklqO-GHqM7IVXvwjGOS87xP8p90KaU6cSM7l4pO9c7ERg23S0-pEroWi-EDgrRXPsuiuusO134-~ei~NpvldkOrNPSipdiG9yNeqvn9X1xCujYUpvpeIOLsFNnOgrJrd0Of9-x80bzHXlFjr-Z2Xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its meeting, the New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee received updates from the town planner on grant and planning activities tied to Corn Neck Road and the town’s hazard mitigation plan.

Town planner update and grants

The town planner said New Shoreham (Block Island) was shortlisted for a Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank technical‑assistance program that contracts engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill to prepare conceptual designs for stormwater management projects. “We were shortlisted for that; there's maybe 15 across the state,” the planner said, and added that the assistance would carry no cost to the town.

The planner also said they are working with Kim Korey, the state chief resiliency officer, to include New Shoreham in a forthcoming NFWF (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) grant round, likely targeting final design or implementation funds for the Corn Neck Road project. The planner said she was “working with Kim on getting some cost estimates” and expected work on the application this summer.

Corn Neck Road public meeting and survey

GZA, the town’s contractor on dune and coastal design, will hold a public meeting on the Corn Neck Road dune restoration project on May 15 at Town Hall from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The planner said GZA will present vulnerability and existing-conditions analyses and survey results; she reported the most recent internal tally showed about 100 survey responses. Committee members were encouraged to attend and to help publicize the meeting.

Hazard mitigation plan status

Committee members were told the town’s revised hazard mitigation plan has been adopted locally, reviewed by the state and forwarded to FEMA for approval. The planner said the state review was complete and that FEMA approval is expected in the coming months.

Ending

Committee members thanked staff for the updates and noted the upcoming public meeting and grant‑application period as near‑term items for committee coordination and public outreach.","Town staff told the Coastal Resilience Committee the town was shortlisted for Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank technical assistance, is pursuing NFWF final-design funding for Corn Neck Road, and that the adopted hazard mitigation plan has been forwarded to FEMA for approval. GZA will hold a public meeting on Corn Neck Road dune restoration on May ",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6566480,"Modeling shows artificial reef can cut storm erosion at Crescent Beach but may shift damage to nearby gaps",2892,2792000,5684000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2&start=2792&end=5684","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204930-618ce14e975dea711cf7512a8ec7f0a2/thumbnail_2792000.jpg","/articles/6566480/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Modeling-shows-artificial-reef-can-cut-storm-erosion-at-Crescent-Beach-but-may-shift-damage-to-nearby-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566480-060825607a04fa0fb4de8a265866006b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139596&Signature=U7FQJh2nIDk~lnun2y7viZIYOSoxKNuOaTqzGtIUgzQcp~GKhQ5cai5onVwFa-sNP-vQ5lTJZi~sB-yCaJav6QRi9Q0r-Tntd6DoxUqdRWdMTJ-ox0-GFIcqLTqZwP3TZ0iemkYbvJTQLusXGFsJevXLw797JnMG8QEmV7j7fCs0u0EPmEApIjZecaLj~odnhGMcJ4~OtKOpEfFLX4T2VcnIj1m2jmNHT52xfcrQ1yLmetrtwhms~yHcg4nal9bdkR39YRXmfpmyeaS03xMGup7QBcSFhHxSo~kZtorQ8zfSqNMwFo2rfEgs-8KOzfsQcPa6MCvyQMYed7n09I0u~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Researchers and contractors presented numerical-modeling results to the New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee on the potential of nature-based measures — including submerged artificial reefs and combined “purge” beach nourishment — to reduce storm-driven erosion along Corn Neck Road and Crescent Beach.

The presentation, led by Annette Grilli, described a two‑year, event-focused modeling campaign that simulates storm waves, surge and sediment transport to test how reefs and nourishment would change nearshore currents and shoreline loss. “The objective of the project was trying to see if we could find nature based solution to protect Corn Neck Road,” Grilli said.

Grilli said the team used nested numerical models driven by storm forcing derived from basin-scale simulations and validated with local observations. The model runs used Hurricane Sandy as a design storm and a high-resolution coastal model with shoreline resolution down to roughly 2 meters. “This model doesn't do the decadal long term,” Grilli cautioned; “it's focusing on storm events for this.”

Key findings

- Under the tested designs, a submerged reef placed about 300 meters offshore at a crest roughly 0.75 meters below mean sea level produced a reduction in modeled storm erosion of about 25% (for one crest height) to about 40% (for a deeper crest) at parts of Crescent Beach compared with the Sandy baseline. Grilli summarized the panel results: “In term of erosion… you have 40% less erosion and 25% less erosion. So this is the best you can hope for.”

- The reef designs concentrated currents and formed macro‑vortices in model runs. Those vortices reduced wave energy but also produced localized erosion in the gaps between reef segments and at the reef ends. Grilli warned that “you can have current…and it's the thing,” adding that gaps and the ends of segmented reefs can drive local erosion.

- Moving reefs farther offshore (tested at about 400–500 meters) did not uniformly improve outcomes; in some tested configurations offshore placement increased focused flows in gaps and produced worse local erosion. Grilli said the modeled behavior was site‑specific and sensitive to reef geometry, depth and storm characteristics.

- Designs that place the reef shallower or emergent tended to perform better at dissipating energy but would be subject to higher regulatory, navigational and ecological review.

Implications discussed

Committee members emphasized tradeoffs between energy dissipation and redirected sediment transport. A committee member noted local homeowners report seeing the modeled split and migration of currents in some conditions. Grilli and the team repeatedly stressed that designs must be tuned to local bathymetry and that a single prototype does not generalize. “The depth at which you put it is extremely important,” Grilli said, describing wave breaking, friction and reflection as the primary physical controls.

Researchers highlighted additional design options the model can test, including porous reef structures and a hybrid “purge” beach (nourishment placed between reef and shore). Grilli described a candidate reef geometry used for sensitivity tests (crest lengths of hundreds of meters, segmented gaps, and crest dimensions noted in the team’s internal design), and said the next modeling steps are normal‑condition simulations, sea‑level‑rise scenarios and combined reef+nourishment tests.

Regulatory and use considerations

Presenters and committee members raised permitting, navigational marking and fisheries issues. The team noted reefs must be clearly marked as navigation hazards and that reef materials and crest depths affect small‑boat passage. The committee also discussed the need for an environmental and coastal impacts study if the town pursued a permit application; Grilli said a CRMC (Coastal Resources Management Council) filing would require site‑specific impact modeling.

What happens next

Grilli said the team will finish normal‑condition simulations, run sea‑level‑rise sensitivity cases and test combined purge‑beach nourishment with GZA’s dune reconstruction designs if time permits. The committee agreed the modeling has answered many preliminary questions but that any consideration of construction would require additional, site‑specific study, permitting and substantial funding.

Ending

Committee members thanked the researchers for detailed modeling results and noted the work will inform future design, permit planning and public outreach. The team plans to return with updated runs and to test a broader set of storms and design permutations.","Researchers presented numerical-model results to the New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee showing an artificial reef design could reduce storm-driven erosion at Crescent Beach by roughly 25–40% but may produce increased erosion in gaps and at reef ends, making placement and design site-specific.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reports: ordinance ideas from other island towns, energy transition meeting May 20, and outreach plans

Town planner: New Shoreham shortlisted for state stormwater assistance; Corn Neck Road public meeting set for May 15

Modeling shows artificial reef can cut storm erosion at Crescent Beach but may shift damage to nearby gaps