Rising sea levels in the next 100 years are expected to have an impact on Bath’s downtown waterfront area and a number of businesses along with it. But a volunteer planning group said there are ways to help manage future floods and developments there.
The Coastal Journal reported that the city of Bath was chosen to receive a free consultation on how to plan future developments in face of rising sea levels. It was provided as part of a program run by the American Institute of Architects. A group of volunteer architects, planners and engineers held made a presentation with recommendations for the city on Nov. 3.
During the presentation, a group of middle school students showed how sea levels rising by two feet would cause flooding at Brackett’s Market, the Kennebec Tavern and a number of other downtown buildings while storms were happening.
The volunteer planning group said there are a number of ways to address rising sea levels and that it’s not a matter of stopping downtown development, but managing it. The group said some of those ways include the creation of buffer zones, waterfront vegetation, overflow valves and a boardwalk.
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