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2022-01-04 - IR Feasibility Memo 1 Van Houten Street, Nyack, NY 10960 www.tms-waterfront.com T: 917-426-6788 F: 866-211-1780 PREPARED FOR: PREPARED BY: FRANK PASQUALE, KFJ DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC INDIGO RIVER KIRK PUGH, KBT REALTY SUMMIT DESIGN 1 VAN HOUTEN STREET, NYACK NY 10960 JANUARY 4, 2022 BATTLESHIP POINT FEASIBILITY MEMORANDUM __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 January 4, 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD MEMORANDUM 1. DUE DILIGENCE a. SITE DESCRIPTION b. NATURAL RESOURCES c. HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE d. COASTAL SITE ASSESSMENT i. VESSEL TRAFFIC & WAKES ii. WIND & WIND-GENERATED WAVES iii. WATER LEVELS iv. TIDAL CURRENTS v. SEA LEVEL TRENDS 2. PROPOSED PROJECT a. DESIGN GUIDELINES b. CONCEPT DESIGN IMPACTS i. FLOOD ZONE ANALYSIS ii. TECHNICAL VIABILITY OF LIVING SHORELINES iii. REGULATORY & ENVIRONMENTAL LANDSCAPE 3. CONCLUSION For this analysis, the below materials were reviewed. No site visits were completed by Indigo River.. 1. FEMA Map Number 3720311800l, Version 2.3.3.2, Revised Aug 28, 2018, Panel 3118 2. North Carolina Climate Science Report, NCICS, Revised September 2020 3. Underwater Archaeological Sites in The Wilmington Historical District, Lawrence, 1985 4. The Road to Cape Fear, Susan Edward Johnson Diary Entry: January 9, 1801 5. A History of New Hanover County and The Lower Cape Fear Region", 1723-1800, Vol. 1, Waddell, C. 1909 6. Plan NHC (New Hanover County’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan) 7. New Hanover County Unified Development Ordinance, May 3, 2021 8. EPA’s Climate Smart Brownfields Manual, June 2021 9. Kersting Architecture’s “Preliminary Design Presentation & Narrative”, dated December 30, 2021 10. Navionics Hydrography, accessed December 14, 2021 11. LMG Preliminary Resource Boundary Sketch, dated October 2021 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 January 4, 2022 FOREWARD The goal of this memorandum is to explore the feasibility and viability of the proposed Battleship Point waterfront development. This analysis should allow your team to study and make decisions on the advancement of the project, while ensuring that the prospective building and shoreline are created to be resilient beyond your development needs. While the subject property is currently zoned for Heavy Industrial (I-2) uses, which include uses such as: a. Fracking b. Junkyard or salvage yard c. Landfill d. Ordinance manufacturing e. Pulp and paper products manufacturing f. Processing or storage of radioactive or infectious waste g. Solid waste transfer facility h. Power generating plants this analysis considers the project under the Riverfront Urban Mixed-Use Zoning (RUMXZ) district proposed text amendment. The proposed Battleship Point development hopes to find harmony with the natural ecosystems occurring on the existing site- riverine, marshes, coastal forest, as well as transitional successional areas between. This will not only be accomplished by incorporating and emulating native systems into the design of built areas, but also by formulating buildings which lessen their impact on existing and future ecosystems. Mitigation and integration strategies in this regard are not hidden, rather they give the architecture of the project form and detail. This includes strategies for capturing, directing, and treating stormwater runoff, providing sun and shade, leveraging breezes, and creating storm resiliency. The experiential goal of this project is to celebrate the river. This includes not only adapting to the sensitive nature of the river’s ecology but acknowledging its role in the cultural formation of the region and providing a platform for its future evolution. It is hoped that by providing an experience for visitors and residents where the river plays a central role, it will foster greater stewardship of its cultural and environmental legacy in the community. Resiliency considerations have a dramatic impact on almost every facet of the planning, design, construction, and operations of a new development. The objective is to maximize the long-term safety, service, and resilience of the proposed development’s assets, now and in the future, as climate conditions change. Please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience should you have any questions or comments regarding this report or our conclusions. Dena A. Prastos, AIA Founder & CEO Indigo River __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 January 4, 2022 DUE DILIGENCE SITE DESCRIPTION The site is located on Peter Point, which is listed in the Capes Category for New Hanover County in the state of North Carolina. The location, topography, and nearby roads & trails around Peter Point (Cape) can be seen in the graphics below. The latitude and longitude coordinates (GPS waypoint) of Peter Point are 34.2426698 (North), -77.9560996 (West) and the approximate elevation is 7 feet above mean high water. The ~8.34 acre site is identified by New Hanover County as parcel number: R04700-003-007-000, with a street address of 1100 Point Harbor Road, and is currently zoned as I-2. Based on FEMA’s Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, portions of the proposed Development Site are located in an AE Flood Zone with a base flood elevation of + 9 feet (NAVD 88) and spot elevations range from EL 0 to EL +8. in the interior of the site. FIGURE 1: PETER POINT TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, USGS QUAD MAP The shoreline’s natural slope is observed to be interspersed with man-made debris and abandoned structures from the shipyard years. This site has been used as a dumping ground; waste ranging from household garbage, construction debris, and derelict piles are present throughout as can be observed in the photographs in Figure 2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 2: PETER POINT EXISTING CONDITIONS PHOTOGRAPHS, FALL 2021 NATURAL RESOURCES The Cape Fear River has been one of North Carolina’s most important natural resources since it was first dubbed ‘‘Rio Jordan’’ by Spanish explorers in 1526. Its subsequent names included the Charles River and the Clarendon River; it appears to have been commonly known as the Cape Fear River by at least 1733. The Cape Fear was the site of many initial European settlements and served as a key transportation route for colonial pioneers traveling into the North Carolina backcountry. 1 Peter Point is the site of one of Wilmington’s most heavily traveled river ferries. The Cape Fear Estuary—a 35-mile section of the river between Wilmington and the Atlantic Ocean—features saline waters that are important habitats and breeding grounds for many saltwater animals, including fish, crabs, and shrimp. The estuary is also part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The Cape Fear River, as it flows through Wilmington has an average width of 700 feet and is subject to a daily tidal variation of 4.2 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently maintains a 32-foot-deep-by-400-foot- wide navigation channel in this part of the river. 1 Philip Gerard, "Cape Fear: Historic Gateway to the Atlantic," Wildlife in North Carolina 63 (November 1999). __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 3: TOPOGRAPHY STUDY, NHCGIS HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE On the east, or Wilmington side of the Cape Fear River, the shoreline has been almost entirely bulkheaded and the river bottom drops sharply away to the channel. On the opposite side of the river from Wilmington, along Peter Point and Eagles Island, the shorelines are heavily vegetated, and the lands are quite low. The bottom on this side of the river is composed of a thick mud and the drop is very gradual from the shore to the channel. As a result, more of the river bottom is exposed at low tide. Today, except for the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial to the south, there are no commercial enterprises or residences between the Cape Fear River Memorial Bridge and Point Peter. However, there is abundant physical evidence of the past activity; the __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6 January 4, 2022 remains of bulkheads and wharves can be seen along the water's edge and the shoreline continues to be littered with rubble and debris. FIGURE 4: NOAA NAUTICAL CHARTS, HISTORICAL 1982 (LEFT) AND CURRENT 2021 (RIGHT) Between the forks of the river opposite Wilmington was the Negro Head Point plantation which at an early period belonged to Col. Peter Mallett, and from his time to the present has been called Point Peter2. Based upon the history of the site the development team anticipates cultural concessions and mitigation will likely need to be performed. This includes the assumption that an Archeologist will be required to be present on the site during construction. FIGURE 5: HISTORIC TRAIL 2 A History of New Hanover County and the Lower Cape Fear Region", 1723-1800, vol. 1, by Alfred Moore Waddell, c. 1909 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7 January 4, 2022 COASTAL SITE ASSESSMENT Goals for resilient coastal development are important and must be firmly established when planning and making decisions. Indigo synthesizes and analyzes many different factors when determining the appropriateness of a given coastal site. Coastal characteristics such as vessel traffic, wakes, wind, wind-generated waves, water levels, tidal currents, and sea level rise all contribute to the feasibility and resilience of a proposed coastal development. The different factors and their relevance are summarized below. FIGURE 6: SURROUNDING SITE HYDROGRAPHY, NAVIONICS FACTORS Vessel Traffic & Wakes. • Even in major storm events, the governing criteria for design will be wake-driven waves from vessel traffic. • The ferries, river cruises, and fishing charters operate consistently throughout the year. • The ferries and vessels pass close to the proposed site. Vessels operating that close are a danger and have significantly higher wake and energy transmitted than vessels passing further away. • Ferry-associated wakes are consistently high with periods of 4-7 seconds and wave heights of 1.6 to 2.6 feet. This is critical in that the waves are more “swell” than “choppy”. Short, choppy waves can be stopped easily by surface attenuators and deflection. Longer swells carry a lot more energy and are a deeper wave, i.e. their profile extends down into the water much deeper than the surface. Typically, these waves pass under pile supported structures and floats, and can only be attenuated with deep wave fences or rubble mound/island structures (e.g., groins, breakwaters). __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 7: RECREATIONAL (LEFT) & TOW (RIGHT) VESSEL TRAFFIC, LIVING ATLAS, ARCGIS Wind & Wind-generated waves. • Prevailing wind conditions are from the South-Southwest. The exposure distance along the water in that direction is short, and therefore waves generated by winds are slight, especially in comparison with the vessel-generated waves. • The site will be protected by land features from wind and wind- generated waves from the other directions – South, Southeast, East and Northeast. Nor’easter storms common in fall will not significantly affect the site. FIGURE 8: WINDROSE FOR WILMINGTON __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9 January 4, 2022 Water Levels. • Due to the site’s waterfront use, higher high tides in the next two decades will present overtopping concerns (where waves break over the land). Since this will be a waterfront access project, such concerns will have to be planned for. FIGURE 9: WATER LEVELS FOR WILMINGTON Tidal Currents. • The existing structures on site acts as a barrier to tidal ebb, which slows down the current in the project vicinity. • Currents are as much as 2.5 knots along the project site, which is very high for water activities and recreational boating. • Currents are constant with depth meaning that the system can be modeled simply. • Detailed analysis and modelling of the currents and how they will morph and bend around the proposed water features, as well as designing features that will purposefully deflect the current, will be required during the design phase to ensure placidity and reasonable conditions for waterfront access. FIGURE 10: DATUMS FOR WILMINGTON, NC, IN NAVD88 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 January 4, 2022 Sea Level Trends. • Increased flooding, due largely to sea level rise, will disrupt coastal and low-lying communities. By the end of the century, these areas will experience high tide flooding nearly every day and a substantial increase in the chance of flooding from coastal storms. • Sea levels are rising faster on the northern coast of North Carolina than on the southern coast, but by the end of the century all the state’s coast will experience disruptive coastal flooding. Flooding events that are currently rare will become much more likely. • The relative sea level trend is 2.56 millimeters/year with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 0.35 mm/yr based on monthly mean sea level data from 1935 to 2020 which is equivalent to a change of 0.84 feet in 100 years. FIGURE 11: RELATIVE SEA LEVEL TREND, WILMINGTON, NC __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 January 4, 2022 PROPOSED PROJECT DESIGN GUIDELINES The Battleship Point Guidelines are a set of principles and strategies intended to foster an overall sense of place and ensure the creation of a cohesive character for this emerging section of New Hanover County. Each building developed along this key portion of the Waterfront should aspire to reflect the unique character of New Hanover County’s past and present, thereby enabling the future establishment of a distinct waterfront district connecting Wilmington’s Central Business District and Eagle Island thereby complementing and supporting surrounding portions of the zone. The guidelines establish standards for future development that foster a robust mix of both residential and nonresidential uses. They have been drawn up to address the site’s unique potential to create live-work opportunities that support the growing local economy, complementing regional developments and neighborhood patterns, and enhance the public’s access to the waterfront, thereby mirroring the primary objectives found in the Riverfront Urban Mixed-Use Zoning (RUMXZ) proposed text amendment, by aspiring toward the following ideals: 1. Encourage the efficient mixed use development pattern envisioned in the 2016 Comprehensive Plan for development fronting the Cape Fear or Cape Fear Northeast Extension. 2. Alignment with the New Hanover County Future Land Use Map, which identifies this area as “Urban Mixed Use” 3. Enhance and preserve environmentally sensitive areas along the river; 4. Protect public access to the river through the creation of quality public spaces. 5. Preserve cultural and natural resources. 6. Ensure quality design and a variety of built forms that result in a pedestrian scale that allows vistas to the east, City of Wilmington, and west from developed pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, and Riverwalk. The project will provide a compelling skyline. 7. Promote and enhance transit options, particularly pedestrian and water-oriented transportation options. 8. Provide an opportunity for intensive development consistent with the urban form; 9. Encourage a mix of uses that fosters a sense of community and creates a destination for residents and visitors alike; 10. Create a dynamic and active public realm embedded with resiliency components, with ground floor mixed use development that accommodates flood protection; 11. Aid in community-scale coastal resilience and be designed with risks in mind; 12. Recover quickly from both small and large storm events; 13. Adapt edges for sea level rise; 14. Bolster urban ecosystems; and 15. Support brownfield remediation. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 January 4, 2022 CONCEPT DESIGN IMPACTS In conjunction with a new urban mixed-use development, the proposed Project would create approximately three acres of new waterfront public space, establishing a destination within the region. The new waterfront public space would comprise approximately 60,000 square feet of upland waterfront space, 50,000 square feet of intertidal area, and 25,000 square feet of in-river space. The waterfront public space would be fully accessible to the public and would offer boating and other in-water experiences, educational programming, and other opportunities for enjoyment of the waterfront by the community at large. The proposed Project would also enhance and sustain habitat at a site that is uniquely situated to be a habitat link on the Cape Fear River. Preliminary analyses indicate that this is an ideal site for an intervention of this scale and magnitude. The bathymetric and substrate conditions are able to create favorable conditions that would support a habitat mosaic – an interconnected sequence of habitats – that, when combined, provide higher habitat value, performance, and biodiversity. FIGURE 12: PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN FROM KERSTING ARCHITECTURE Finally, the proposed Project would increase the resilience of the site and upland areas. The habitat enhanced Coastal Marsh Conservation Area would reduce the violence of severe Hurricanes like Matthew, Florence, and Isias by considerably reducing wave energy and providing more room to absorb inundation and impact. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 13: PRELIMINARY SITE RENDER Economy With such a large development project, as a result of the proposed text amendment, the economic benefits to the County for construction on this project alone, can be anticipated at over $16 million annually, assumed for a period of five years, and has the potential to create or support over 900 jobs. Extrapolating conservatively, the County tax revenue for Battleship Point can be expected to be somewhere in excess of $5 million per year Architecture The proposed project consists of three towers that together take on the pointed shape of the site, situated around a central plaza. With regards to the massing of the proposed structures, they are relatively tall and highly dense as compared to the surrounding area, however, they are consistent with what is envisaged in the NHC Plan for future development, and mirror the County Planning Department’s official stance to encourage high- density projects. The EPA’s Climate Smart Brownfields Manual also encourages highly compact development on these types of sites as a way of creating conditions that heal, rather than harm, the natural environment. The design team explored the scale of the proposed development by comparing the proposed project to developments across the river, including the existing PPD building. As one can see in Figure 14, when topography is considered, the proposed development corresponds to a similar height datum. This __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 January 4, 2022 consideration of the topography strives to reiterate the responsiveness of the proposed new development to the prospect of future flooding. Structure The structural elements of this project will be designed to minimize impacts to navigation and marine life by limiting outward expansion through the project area, based on site conditions. Specifically, the goals are to a. Cap in place contaminated soil b. Elevate occupiable areas c. Avoid structural encroachment into the Federal Navigation Channel d. Enhance and preserve marshes and wetlands; avoid encroachment into the same e. Increase resilience of the shoreline structures for future storms and sea level rise f. Increase recreational river access, and g. Avoid vertical structures that increase wave and wake in the river through amplification and rebound. FIGURE 14: PRELIMINARY SITE SECTION FROM KERSTING ARCHITECTURE The site is suitable for development. Given the known facts of the site, its location, existing surficial soils, anticipated characteristics of subsurface soils and cross-sections, and anticipated bedrock depths/elevations, it is Summit Design and Engineering Services’ opinion that from a geotechnical perspective, the site is suitable for the intended use. A subsurface exploration will be required to assess and confirm the engineering properties of the soil and rock at the site, as well as a detailed and thorough geotechnical evaluation will be required. The geotechnical evaluation and design process will be performed by a Professional Geotechnical Engineer (PE) licensed in the state of North Carolina and will provide a suitable foundation system designed specifically for this site that: provides safety to the public, supports the required structural loading as designed/provided by the Structural Engineer for the development, and minimizes environmental impacts. Additionally, adjacent roadway structures are constructed on a similar subsurface profile combination of soil and rock. (i.e. - US Hwy421/74 Bridge Foundation System). The structural loading for these buildings will be larger, but the same thought process/deep foundation applications will apply. Site grading, earthwork, and structures will be constructed in the project area to establish the backbone for the site’s ecological development. In partnership with the structural elements described, the ecological development proposed for the project will be aimed towards creating resilient ecosystems that will endure the conditions of the Cape Fear River. There will be no net loss of habitat associated with this project; approximately 50,000 square feet of inter-tidal area will be developed into healthy ecological habitats. The structural elements will be designed to have minimal impacts on marine life by limiting the amount of fill, coverage, and flow-blocking elements, which could impede marine animal inhabitance in the area. Just as the project has different structural elements in each area, the ecological plan will have corresponding zones. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15 January 4, 2022 FLOOD ZONE ANALYSIS As part of the preliminary data collection for the prosed site, a detailed analysis of the FEMA floodplain was performed. FEMA FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM) FIRMs are FEMA’s official maps of special flood hazard areas and risk premium zones for flood insurance applicable a specific community. Flood zones shown on the map are geographic areas classified according to levels of flood risk, with each zone reflecting the severity and/or type of flooding. The type of flooding can be Riverine, Coastal or Shallow Flooding. 100-YEAR FLOOD The 100-year flood, also known as the base flood, is a flood having a 1-percent annual chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Base flood is the national standard used by NFIP (see below) and all federal agencies for the purposes of requiring the purchase of flood insurance and regulating new development. ZONE AE Zones AE are the flood insurance rate zones that correspond to the 1-percent annual chance floodplains that are determined in the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) by detailed methods of analysis. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply to these areas. In most instances, Base Flood Elevations derived from the detailed hydraulic analyses are shown at selected intervals within this zone. BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE) The BFE, the computed elevation in feet to which floodwater is anticipated to rise during the base flood, is the regulatory requirement for the elevation or floodproofing of structures. A building’s flood insurance premium is determined by the relationship between the BFE and a structure’s elevation. RIVERINE AND COASTAL FLOODING The two most common flooding sources shown on the FIRM are Riverine and Coastal flooding. Riverine Flooding occurs when a channel receives more flow from rain or snowmelt than can be conveyed within the banks. The excess water will flow over the channel’s banks and into the adjacent floodplain. Coastal Flooding occurs from coastal storms and includes the flood elevation from storm surge and waves. The coastal floodplain is broken into three zones based on the wave height (Figure 15). The Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA) identifies areas that will be affected by waves with a 1.5-foot wave height or greater above the Stillwater flood depth. While FEMA does not require special floodplain management standards based on LiMWA delineations, it is likely that properties and structures within the LiMWA will receive substantial damage from wave action during a 1%-annual-chance flood event. As a result, communities are encouraged to adopt the more stringent building construction standards applicable for V Zones in these areas. In coastal areas, most channels experience both coastal and riverine flooding. The riverine and coastal floodplains are mapped based on the respective guidance documents. There is a transition area between the coastal and riverine floodplains that is analyzed for the combined rate of occurrence. Based on this analysis, the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)/Flood Zone Boundary which separates the coastal floodplain from the combined coastal and riverine floodplain. Although this boundary is not shown on the FIRM, it can be located in the Floodway Profiles in the FlS. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 15: THE LIMWA IDENTIFIES THE AREA WHERE WAVE HEIGHTS ARE BETWEEN 1.5 AND 3 FEET FEMA ADVISORY BASE FLOOD ELEVATION Following severe flood events, FEMA creates Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs) to show a more current picture of flood risk for certain affected communities. Following Hurricane Sandy, the known flood risk has changed since the last effective community Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for many communities in New Jersey and New York. The Advisory information can help communities better understand current flood risks and ensure structures are rebuilt stronger and safer to reduce the impact of similar events in the future. Adopting standards based on Advisory information will not change current flood insurance rates within a community. Flood insurance policies are rated using the zones and flood elevations on the current effective FIRM. PROJECT LOCATION AND ANTICIPATED ANALYSIS As shown on the FIRM excerpt in Figure 16, the project location is located in Zone AE in the Coastal Floodplain. The BFE at this location is 9.0 feet (NAVD88). The project is also located over 7 miles upstream of the LIMWA, so it is outside the area with wave heights above 1.5 feet. The project is also located outside the combined coastal and riverine floodplain. The SFHA/Flood Zone Boundary on the Cape Fear River is located almost 10 miles upstream of the project location, and the SFHA/Flood Zone Boundary on the Northeast Cape Fear River is located almost 32 miles upstream of the project location. Although based on the FEMA FIRM and FIS, the project location should not be subject to wave heights above 1.5 feet or combined coastal and riverine flooding, the Design Team has an acute awareness around the potential risks of developing in a floodplain and the sensitivity of the confluence of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear Rivers. To ensure the proposed project will be designed to be as resilient as possible, part of the design will include a hydraulic analysis of the floodplain considering various flooding scenarios (storm surge, waves, sea level rise and riverine) to ensure the proposed development will not adversely affect the floodplain and be able to withstand flooding with future climate conditions. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 16: FEMA PANEL 3118 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18 January 4, 2022 TECHNICAL VIABILITY OF LIVING SHORELINES Living shoreline is a term that has become popularized recently; however, there is frequently a considerable amount of debate over what constitutes a living shoreline. The term is often used broadly to represent a system of protection that incorporates the individual approaches identified below. Living shorelines can include both bank stabilization as well as methods to reduce the wave and/or current energy along the bank. Living shorelines are typically considered a “soft” approach to shoreline protection, because of the use of natural and often biodegradable “sustainable” techniques. The use of vegetation often plays a significant role in developing a living shoreline where the vegetation is used to help anchor the soil and prevent erosion, while at the same time trap new sediment. The vegetation also provides shelter and habitat for wildlife living along the shoreline and can act as a natural filter for removing pesticides and fertilizers. Soil bioengineering is another generic term that can be used to refer to a variety of shoreline stabilization approaches, including some that can be classified as living shorelines. Soil bioengineering refers to the concept of utilizing vegetation to stabilize the soil along eroding banks. The vegetation provides immediate protection, and as the root systems develop, they bind the soil more tightly creating a resistance to sliding or shear. Soil bioengineering projects can also include structural components if additional bank protection is required. A vegetated geogrid is a soil wall that is placed on a bank or shore that has been severely eroded. The wall is made up of successive soil lifts that are separated by and wrapped in a synthetic or natural control fabric. Geocoir natural textiles are made of pure coir drawn from the husk of the coconut without adding any synthetic material – a 100 percent natural product. Branch cuttings are then placed between each layer. The live branch cuttings serve several practical purposes. The cuttings act as a buffer to reduce wave energy and shear stress at the face of the wall. In addition, having the branch cuttings present before the completion of the wall enables the vegetation to grow as rapidly as possible. Finally, once established the branches serve to bind the geogrids together and provide a root structure behind the wall, attaching it more securely to the shore. FIGURE 17: VEGETATED GEOGRID __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19 January 4, 2022 FIGURE 18: VEGETATED GEOGRID / LIVE STAKED SHORELINES Terrestrial Vegetation includes vegetative plantings on embankments, including grasses, shrubs, or trees whose roots bind soil and prevent erosion. Construction of a sustainable shoreline is straightforward. The existing slope is prepared using an excavator. Other armoring options would be installed using similar equipment, though living shorelines and plantings would rely on manual labor to a far larger degree. A turbidity curtain will be installed beyond the toe of the wall to prevent sediments stirred up by the excavator from dispersing into the river. The site conditions are suitable for living shorelines. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20 January 4, 2022 REGULATORY & ENVIRONMENTAL LANDSCAPE Government regulations and programs related to floodplain management, building construction, land use, and flood insurance are important drivers of developing resiliency. Prior to any land disturbance or development associated with a CAMA Major permit, both archeological and environmental investigations, including endangered species under the purview of the USFWS and NMFS, will need to be completed. Prior to any decision on a CAMA Major permit, 14 state and federal agencies will comment on the proposed development to ensure the project is in compliance with their respective regulations. Flood Insurance Rate Maps FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are the official flood maps referenced in New Hanover County’s Unified Development Ordinance. They are also used to set flood insurance premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program. Floodplains shown on FIRMs are classified according to levels of risk, with each zone indicating the severity or type of flooding. Flood-Resistant Construction Standards Design and construction of new buildings and major alterations in the floodplain are regulated in large part by FEMA, which establishes FIRMs and references the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE 24) as a minimum standard for floodplain construction. Freeboard Requirements To ensure that buildings are sufficiently resilient regarding expected flooding, code requires developments to provide an additional margin of safety above the FEMA-designated BFE. This additional margin of safety is known as “freeboard,” and varies depending on which flood zone the property is in, as well as the use of the building. For example, some industrial businesses that are considered critical facilities, such as bulk petroleum distribution, that are located in the AE Zone have a freeboard requirement of two feet above the BFE, while other non-critical industrial uses may only have a freeboard requirement of one foot above the BFE. ASCE 24 uses ‘design flood’ and ‘design flood elevation’ to acknowledge that some communities adopt flood hazard maps that depict flood hazard areas in addition to Special Flood Hazard Areas shown on FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). The design flood elevation (DFE) equals the base flood elevation (BFE) in communities that regulate based on FIRMs, such as New Hanover County. The DFE is always equal to or higher than the BFE. In Special Flood Hazard Areas where Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) have been determined, this elevation shall be the BFE plus two feet of freeboard. In Special Flood Hazard Areas where no BFE has been established, this elevation shall be at least two feet above the highest adjacent grade. United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) The Project construction and engineering will be designed to comply with USACE permitting standards. The in-water work is landward of the US pierhead line and results in new net open water, both in terms of volume and surface area. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is an agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration responsible for management, conservation, and protection of the nation’s marine resources. The agency regulates commercial and recreational ocean fishing and manages marine life and habitats in waters 3 to 200 nautical miles from a U.S. shore within an area known in maritime law as an “exclusive economic zone,” where countries have enhanced resource-exploitation rights. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21 January 4, 2022 Public Coastal Waters Public Coastal waters are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and are subject to CAMA regulation sand the Coastal Resource Commission’s CAMA minor permitting process. Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) CAMA is an acronym for the Coastal Area Management Act which is legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1974. This legislation established the CRC (Coastal Resources Commission) which is the governing body for CAMA. The purpose of CAMA is to protect the unique natural resources of the North Carolina coastal areas. There are 20 CAMA Counties in North Carolina which are subject to the CAMA rules. Plan NHC (New Hanover County’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan) This plan is a series of reports, including statistical and historical information that incorporates extensive community input and provides a detailed implementation plan that will help achieve the overall vision of ort the future of New Hanover County. With growth comes the need for responsible development and redevelopment of land, as well as thoughtful consideration concerning the county’s infrastructure and natural resources. Plan NHC acts as a guide for the creation of a new zoning ordinance. The proposed rezoning text amendment for Riverfront Urban Mixed-Use (RUMXZ) falls in line with the Future Land Use zoning map for New Hanover County. Unified Development Ordinance, New Hanover County, Article 9: Flood Damage Prevention The Legislature of the state of North Carolina has delegated to local governmental units the authority to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare. The flood prone areas within the unincorporated County are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life, property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures of flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare. These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in floodplains causing increases in flood heights and velocities and by the occupancy in flood prone areas of uses vulnerable to floods or other hazards. A Floodplain Development Permit shall be required prior to the commencement of any development activities prior to development within a Special Flood Hazard Area, to ensure any proposed development activities are in conformance with the provisions of this article, and other applicable regulations of this Ordinance and the County Code of Ordinances FIGURE 19: PRELIMINARY RESOURCE BOUNDARY DELINEATION SKETCH, LMG __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22 January 4, 2022 CONCLUSION The proposed text amendment, and specifically this project, directs New Hanover County toward the extraordinary opportunity to provide a new model for urban shorelines – one that is soft and natural, despite being a constricted urban brownfield. By rezoning in accordance with the proposed text amendment, the economic benefits to the County for construction for the Zone can be anticipated at over $212 Million annually, assumed for a period of ten years, and holds the potential to create or support nearly 1200 jobs. This economic impact includes the direct economic impact of construction as well as the indirect and induced effects (or multiplier effects) resulting from the overall increased economic activity in the county associated with the construction project. The Design Team will endeavor to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the proposed project’s potential environmental impacts to the maximum extent practicable during the design stage by: balancing the cut and fill amounts to result in no net loss of aquatic habitat, minimizing new in-water structures; capping deleterious materials, removing derelict structures; minimizing the amount of fill required for construction; strategically locating upland the piles needed to support the platforms and elevated walkways; creating salt marshes, tidal pools, and other types of habitat. The project goals and strategies build off the Army Corp’s Comprehensive Restoration Plan and prevailing living shoreline guidelines, and align with national, regional, state, and local initiatives along the waterfront. The proposed project will result in expanded public waterfront access along the Cape Fear River, while enhancing and sustaining habitat and increasing resiliency of the site and upland areas in a manner that recognizes the constraints posed by the navigational waterway. The project, as conceptually designed, maximizes the shoreline resiliency in the context of the site, and augments it with a best-in-class building sustainability and resiliency measures. This integrated approach ensures that coastal flooding and sea level rise are mitigated for the near future and can be adapted for the next century.