In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s Planning & Procedures subcommittee, a meeting was held on Tuesday, March 16, 2016 at 3:30pm at the offices of the CRMC, Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Rd, Wakefield, RI.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Anne Livingston, Chair
Paul Lemont, Vice Chair
Donald Gomez
Angelo Liberti

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, CRMC Executive Director
Jeff Willis, Deputy Director
James Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst
John Longo, Legal Counsel

 

Call to Order. Ms. Livingston called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

Ms. Livingston called for a motion to approve the minutes of the January 19, 2016 subcommittee meeting.

Item 4.A – Shoreline Change Maps. G. Fugate explained that the shoreline change maps for South County have been updated and revised with latest set of erosion data, and that Block Island was mapped for the first time. The late state geologist and professor emeritus Jon Boothroyd and geologists Brian Oakley and Rachel Herhe performed the work which showed an overall general landward erosion trend, with the Matunuck shoreline seeing the worst of that erosion with over four (4) feet per year of lost shoreline (averaged over the 1939 to present time period). Additionally the geologists doubled the number of transects to get a better trend analysis for segments of the shoreline. J. Boyd presented a demonstration between the previous set of maps and the new maps. Mr. Gomez noted the critical erosion issues of the Little Compton shoreline. G. Fugate estimated that given the knowledge of climate change and sea level rise today, in 20-30 years these erosion rates may have doubled. Ms. Livingston asked how staff uses this information. G. Fugate explained the programmatic 50 foot setback and 30/60 times the erosion rate policies.

Item 5.A – Section 300.7 Revisions/Save the Bay Petition on same. J. Boyd explained the Save the Bay petition to revise and amend Section 300.7 Structural Shoreline Protection Facilities. G. Fugate and J. Boyd explained that because the Beach SAMP process will accomplish the same objective, staff had asked P&P previously to allow the Beach SAMP process to control any changes to Section 300.7 and advise Save the Bay of the same. P&P agreed and asked staff to regularly update it on the two tasks. This update is that update noted G. Fugate. J. Boyd noted that revisions to Section 300.7 have been drafted at the staff level where staff is addressing among other areas soft and hybrid structures as alternatives to the traditional approach of using hard structural shoreline protection methods. Mr. Gomez asked if Save the Bay is asking for status on their petition. G. Fugate explained that they are and that staff provides updates at the quarterly coordination meetings between CRMC and Save the Bay. Mr. Gomez asked if CRMC is receiving any support from the URI Engineering department. G. Fugate responded in the affirmative and that added that Malcolm Spaulding has provided valuable input into general principles that staff is addressing in policy development and also how StormTools has informed staff in application reviews.

ADJOURNMENT. Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Gomez, moved to adjourn the subcommittee meeting. All voted in favor of the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 4:09 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by

Jeffrey M Willis, Deputy Director

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