[MassHistPres] Query re: Raising Historic Structures/ Flood Insurance

[Margaret Welch]

I am posting this on behalf of the Newburyport Historical Commission chair Linda Smiley:
 
"I am writing as chair of the Newburyport Historical Commission. 

We had a “first” come before us at our meeting last week, but I suspect that it won’t be the last that we hear of this.   
 
An applicant who owns a circa 1710 house along Water Street in Newburyport, which runs adjacent to the Merrimack River (this particular property is on the opposite side of the street from the river) has applied for permission to raise the entire house three feet.  His reason is that because of the new flood insurance rates resulting from the new FEMA maps and the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act, his insurance is going to go up so much that it is cheaper for him to just raise his entire house to get it above flood plain level.  I know that Congress is in the process of looking at revising these requirements, and the applicant’s architects know that, but the owner wants to pursue it regardless.  Unfortunately, given the current rates, which I have heard estimates of being in the neighborhood of $68,000 +/- per year for $250,000 worth of insurance coverage, it wouldn’t take long to easily recover the cost of the work. 
 
I am sure I don’t have to tell you about the impact this will have on the appearance of the historic house, and its context in the neighborhood.  Also, how many others will get the same idea?   I shudder to think of the impact this could have on a coastal city full of historic structures such as ours.  On the other hand, we don’t want to deny that sea level rise is a real and pending threat, and people have the right to try to protect their homes.   
 
I was wondering if you have heard of this happening in other (historic) coastal communities in Massachusetts, and if so, what has been the dialog?  Our response was to schedule a public hearing, and we will invite not only the preservation community but also the people looking at sea level rise and sustainability issues.  I don’t know what the outcome will be, but it seems to be an important issue that we need to begin developing a strategy for. 
 
I would appreciate any insight you could offer."
 
Margaret Welch
Secretary
Newburyport Historical Commission
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