FENWICK ISLAND – Updates on two ongoing studies highlighted a Fenwick Island committee meeting this week.
On Tuesday, the Fenwick Island Infrastructure Committee received an update on two studies being completed in town – a resiliency study and a street assessment.
Late last year, the committee began working alongside officials to develop the scope of work for a proposed resiliency plan and GIS mapping project in Fenwick. Using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, officials say the goal of the project is to take a proactive approach at sea level rise and flooding through the development of short-, mid- and long-term solutions.
Since selecting AECOM to complete the work, the company has updated sea level rise maps and identified sea level ride projections. In an update this week, AECOM’s Kyle Gulbronson said a final draft of the study was forthcoming.
“We should get it this week,” he said.
The committee this week also received an update on the town’s street assessment.
In April, the town council voted unanimous to approve a contract with AECOM to develop a street assessment and capital street improvement plan, which would set a schedule and funding mechanism for needed street maintenance and improvements over a 10-year planning period.
“This is for reviewing our streets and determining a maintenance action plan going forward,” Councilman Richard Benn, committee chair, said last month. “We have 5.95 miles of road within the town of Fenwick Island.”
Gulbronson told committee members this week the project has since commenced, as AECOM crews visited Fenwick last week to complete a pavement assessment.
“They were actually complementary of the town, saying that the streets were well maintained …,” he said. “A majority of the streets came back in the ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ category.”
Gulbronson noted the town would receive a full report in the coming weeks.
The committee on Tuesday also received an update on the town’s street striping project, which was completed last week at a total cost of more than $9,000.
Town Manager Pat Schuchman added that she and Public Works Manager Mike Locke were also evaluating conditions along the town’s sides streets in the wake of last weekend’s coastal storm.
“We inspected the town today and yesterday for street flooding and beach erosion,” she said.
Schuchman noted Schulz Road, Bora Bora Street, Madison and Glenn avenues, and the end of Bay Street had all experienced some level of flooding.
