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A Redundant Exercise

The Coastal Resiliency Commission (CRC) recommendations will of course do nothing to abate the principle threat, which is rising waters brought about by climate change. Elevating ones house will be of little value if the lot itself is underwater. One might then consider that these recommendations are basically short- to medium-term stopgap measures designed to be seen to be doing something, while the bigger problem/threat, beyond our local scope to fix, continues to grow in the background.

Observing current development in the flood plain, it appears that new owners are elevating their houses without any further prompting by new regulations. And, indeed, were the new regulations to apply only to new owners then a) the CRC’s goal would be accomplished over time, and b), the effect on existing property owners would be limited to the reduced inherent value of the structure consequent to a failure to take remedial action against the effects of climate change. Coupled with an elimination in subsidized flood insurance premiums, the housing market would thus provide its own corrective: elevated, modernized structures commanding a premium price to new buyers.

Adoption of similar rules by our neighboring towns does not make for good law per se. Trying to force what must amount to but a handful of the 150 flood plain property owners into elevating their properties is a largely redundant exercise. Of far more concern to the town’s tax base is the disappearance of beaches and the swamping of public infrastructure. As a property owner (just) outside the flood plain, this is where I want to see attention focused.

Roger Caplan

Madison