On Feb. 23, Scarborough Planning staff convened with residents to start a community discussion on climate change and resiliency. The virtual meeting supported staff efforts to apply for a Community Action Grant through the Governor’s Office of Planning, Innovation, and the Future. These grants are offered to Maine municipalities and tribal entities to assist in implementing elements of the State’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait. The first funding round closes on March 22, 2022, and a second funding round is available until Sept. 20, 2022.
In preparation for applying for a Community Action Grant, planning staff collaborated with Town departments to complete a self-evaluation on the current state of resiliency in Scarborough. The clear strengths identified were in emergency preparedness, but the gaps were in the resiliency of infrastructure, as well as addressing societal characteristics that increase inequity, like aging populations and lack of affordable housing.
Past studies that looked at the impact of sea level rise on the Town’s infrastructure have identified areas Scarborough should address in the future. The major vulnerable roads are Route One (at Scarborough Marsh), Pine Point Road (upper marsh crossing), and Black Point Road. These are all heavily used commuter roads and emergency evacuation routes. Pine Point Road and Black Point Road also serve as major drinking water and sewer utility corridors. Additionally, there are vulnerable utilities like the drinking water in the beach communities, the sewer system, which has seven pump stations susceptible to sea level rise impacts, and stormwater infrastructure that needs to operate at increased capacity with more frequent storms. The neighborhoods most vulnerable to climate change are Higgins Beach and Pine Point, which are built on natural dune systems, are densely developed, and prone to coastal erosion.
A poll taken during the meeting showed that 89 percent of participants were very concerned about the resilience of Scarborough’s critical infrastructure. Meeting participants shared how they think Scarborough should work toward becoming more resilient and ideas for addressing climate change. Three larger topic areas emerged as priorities during the course of the meeting: building resilient infrastructure, increasing land conservation, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These areas of town and infrastructure that were identified as most vulnerable will be the initial focus of Community Action Grant funding opportunities.
Priority areas for conservation included lands adjacent to Scarborough Marsh and targeting locations next to already conserved lands to improve habitat size and quality. Land conservation was also discussed as part of a greater concern about the pace of development in Scarborough.
Participants also identified a number of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including improving building weatherization, promoting the use of energy efficient heat pumps, requiring the installation of electric vehicle chargers during development, and encouraging the development and use of renewable energy.
Scarborough’s Sustainability Committee focuses on improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and they have worked on or are currently working on a number of these strategies. In Fall 2021, the Committee’s effort to bring solar development to Scarborough became a reality when the Town Council approved an update to the Town’s Zoning Ordinance to allow large-scale solar arrays to be constructed in designated areas of town. The Committee is also currently working on another ordinance update that will require developers to install or prepare for installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
Staff were encouraged by the level of engagement from participants. Participants seeking to become more involved in the Town’s resiliency efforts are encouraged to attend the monthly committee meetings for the Sustainability Committee and Conservation Commission, which regularly work on issues related to these issues.
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