Special to the Record
The city recently received a $324,000 grant to address the mounting threats of coastal flooding and begin the planning and preliminary design of an Eastern Avenue flood mitigation project.
The city, in partnership with the North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability, GreenRoots, and the Mystic River Watershed, received the grant from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP).
The ultimate aim of the project, according to city officials, is to reduce flooding posing risks to vulnerable neighborhoods, fortify critical infrastructure, and bolster public waterfront access along Eastern Avenue, adjacent to the Chelsea Creek.
“Coastal flooding, a direct result of climate change, is a significant danger to vulnerable neighborhoods, businesses, and vital infrastructure,” said City Manager Thomas Ambrosino. “The City is grateful to the Baker Administration and MVP Program for its notable commitment to climate resiliency in Chelsea.”
The grave consequences of climate change will inordinately burden low-income residents and BIPOC communities, demanding concerted action, according to Alex Train, the city’s Director of Housing and Community Development.
“With resources from the MVP Program, we’re advancing the planning and design of critical infrastructure to safeguard the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods for future generations,” said Train.
Enveloping a major floodplain, the Eastern Avenue district anchors a concentration of jobs, oil tank farms, the sole electric substation powering Chelsea, major transportation infrastructure, and vital community facilities, such as the Mary C. Burke Elementary Complex. A severe flood would sever power, interrupt transportation and commerce, and unleash a mix of flooding and, potentially, toxic chemicals, endangering surrounding Environmental Justice neighborhoods, according to officials.
“We must continue to center Chelsea residents in our efforts to ensure that our built infrastructure withstands increasingly intense rain storms, coastal storm surge, and sea level rise in order to ensure our community’s physical and economic well-being,” said Bianca Bowman, Climate Justice Organizer with GreenRoots. “We’ve seen how coastal flooding has impacted vulnerable areas like Eastern Avenue and its surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. Chelsea needs climate justice now.”
Darya Mattes, the resilience manager with the North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability, said the effects of climate change, like many environmental stressors, unequally burdens low-income communities.
“Residents experiencing poverty,communities of color, and vulnerable populations, such as seniors, are more apt to reside in a flood plain or heat island, epitomizing the racial inequities of climate change,” said Mattes.
According to flood modeling performed by Woodwell, formerly known as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, extreme storms that occur every 100 years will be three times more likely to occur by 2050. By 2080, 100 year storms will occur on an annual basis. Flooding
proportional to Hurricane Sandy will engulf Chelsea every year, and the Eastern Avenue district will be inundated with three to five feet of water. Similar to events in the Gulf Coast, intensive flooding could rupture oil and industrial facilities, unleashing plumes of toxic chemicals into
nearby neighborhoods, according to city officials.
With MVP Program funding, the City, GreenRoots, and MyRWA will lead a feasibility analysis to consider approaches to streetscape, utility, and shoreline infrastructure to harden the district from coastal storm surge and sea level rise, while mitigating precipitation driven flooding.
The feasibility study will result in the identification of a preferred concept for flood protection, a combination of elevated infrastructure, living shorelines, stormwater enhancements, and public open space. The system, once conceived, will undergo preliminary design, informed by community input, resulting in validated plans, architectural models, and a cost estimate. Upon completion, the project will allow the City to pursue state and federal funding for final engineering and construction.