In partnership with the State of Rhode Island, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting a project to reduce the risk of coastal storm damage within the towns of Charlestown, South Kingstown, Narragansett and Westerly, RI. The Project is formally named the “Pawcatuck River Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.” Authorization and funding for this Project was approved under Title X, Chapter 4, Division A of the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, Public Law 113-2 (127 Stat. 23) enacted January 29, 2013.
The Final Feasibility Study Report dated February 2018, identifies structures potentially eligible for participation in the Project. The coastal storm risk management plan developed during the feasibility study will reduce damages associated with hurricanes and coastal storms by implementing risk reduction strategies including elevating or flood-proofing eligible structures. 268 properties in Charlestown, South Kingstown, Narragansett and Westerly were identified as being eligible during the feasibility phase of this project.
This letter is to inform you that the structure, located at in Narragansett, RI has been identified as eligible for participation in this project. Please note that participation in the project is 100% voluntary.
The USACE is the Federal agency implementing the Project, and the non-federal sponsor is the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (RICRMC). Participation in the Project is 100% voluntary and construction costs will be cost shared between the USACE (65%) and the owners of each structure (35%). The structure owners will be responsible for the 35% non-Federal share through a financing process that is currently under development with the state of Rhode Island. The Project is currently in the design phase which is estimated to be completed by the end of calendar year 2021. Design costs are 100% federally funded and structure owners will not be asked to provide funding until the construction phase of the project begins. The design phase includes contacting the structure owners identified in the Feasibility phase that are interested in proceeding and conducting property-specific surveys and engineering analyses to determine structure eligibility for the construction phase of the project.
Qualifying residential structures will be considered for elevating. Structures that cannot be physically elevated will be considered for a flood-proofing project. Additional information will be provided at a virtual public meeting that will inform you of the process being utilized by the USACE, RICRMC, and town of Narragansett to implement this project.
The first step for structure owners is to attend the virtual public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 6 pm. If you are not the structure owner, we ask that you pass this letter on to the owner and please let us know so we can update our records. At the public meeting, owners will learn more about the Project and benefits associated with this Project. The meeting will be held via Zoom. Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86562548573
Or One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,86562548573# US (Chicago)
+19294362866,,86562548573# US (New York)
Or join by phone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 436 2866 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 865 6254 8573
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kpcpazH1P
The link will also be posted to the town’s website at https://www.narragansettri.gov.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, the meeting presentation along with project and contact information will be located at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Pawcatuck-River-CSRM-Feasibility-Study/. If you determine that you are interested in participating in the design phase of the Project, please fill out and sign the attached Structure Owner Registration Form. This form must be provided to the USACE and signed by all structure owners that are interested in participating. Please email the form to Ms. Rhonda L. Bath-Charbonneau at Rhonda.l.bath@usace.army.mil or by U.S. mail to Rhonda Bath-Charbonneau, Project Manager, New England District, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742. Please submit the form to the USACE by May 31, 2021 so that we know you are interested in moving forward with property-specific surveys and engineering analyses.
If you have any questions regarding this project, please feel free to contact Ms. Rhonda Bath-Charbonneau, Project Manager by e-mail to Rhonda.l.bath@usace.army.mil.