Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Structures can exceed 35 feet from base flood elevation, according to ordinance
A revision to an ordinance waiving height restriction for Superstorm Sandy-damaged homes was amended to apply the new rules to both new and existing structures. In flood zones, property owners raising their homes now can be built up to 35 feet tall when measured from FEMA Base Flood Elevation, whether it is a new or existing structure. This will ensure that building heights among neighboring homes remain consistent, Township Engineer Robert Chankalian said after the Township Council approved the ordinance amendment Tuesday. "You could end up with up-and-down, so we said 'let's treat everyone the same,'" Chankalian said. "It makes it fair. Everyone gets the same sized house." Councilman Jeffrey Carr, who is the chairman of the land use …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
The grassroots organization has its sites set on national attention.
From its humble beginnings - a few concerned residents sitting around a table in a small sub shop in Toms River - Stop FEMA Now, the grassroots organization opposed to the federal agency’s flood maps, has grown and continues to attract crowds at meetings throughout the state. Now it’s time for the second phase. Prior to a meeting in Atlantic City to discuss flood maps with residents of yet another county, Stop FEMA Now founder George Kasimos said the causes continues to grow. More and more residents continue to discover that their homes are now listed in FEMA’s flood zones, he said, and now they’re looking for answers. And ultimately, they’re looking for a way to fight back. The group’s Facebook page has grown from just a few hundred likes…
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Ordinance allows for those rebuilding Sandy-stricken homes to build beyond 35 feet without a zoning board appearance
Homeowners who need to rebuild their Superstorm Sandy-damaged properties above Toms River's maximum height restriction won't require a trip before the township zoning officials thanks to an ordinance adopted Tuesday. Council members voted to relax that rule for those affected by the storm, allowing the height of their homes to surpass 35 feet if necessary to satisfy FEMA flood guidelines while bypassing a trip before Toms River's Zoning Board, so long as no other alterations are proposed. "It's hard enough for people to raise their homes," said Councilman John Sevastakis, referring to the financial issues and problems with FEMA advisory flood maps. All members of the council voted in favor of adopting the ordinance With all of the …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Eric Katz faces accessibility challenges if he must raise his Green Island home
With the help of his father, Eric Katz spent over three years renovating the house that allowed him to live how he wanted. The 30 year-old paraplegic has been in a wheelchair since age 15, but that never stopped him from living an active and independent life. Then Superstorm Sandy struck. His custom home in Toms River's Green Island section was devastated by flooding. "I had never even seen water in the street," said Katz from inside his gutted home, the walls half removed and floors stripped bare. "For [Hurricane] Irene, it didn't even come over the bulkhead." Katz was putting the finishing touches on his lagoon-side ranch just two week before Sandy pushed 35 inches of water into the garage. About 18 inches of water made it inside the …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Governor provides update on rebuilding, with focus on flood maps and Blue Acres buyout, and plenty of anecdotes
Gov. Chris Christie predicted the Federal Emergency Management Agency will scale back tough new flood maps it issued last December, according to news reports. Those maps place many more properties in flood zones, requiring many of them to be elevated if their owners don't want to see flood insurance rates soar, according to reports. The initial FEMA flood maps, which could create thousands more in insurance premiums and have residents raising their houses feet off the ground, are "too aggressive," said Gov. Christie at Thursday's town hall meeting. He was addressing a packed crowd of officials and residents in the Hurricane Sandy damaged town of Manasquan, and Christie returned to the complicated and controversial topic of what would …
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
Planning Board tasked with handling FEMA flood map variance requests
A variance process for contesting FEMA flood elevations won't be much help to homeowners, since too many approved appeals could jeopardize Toms River's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. "The advice from FEMA is, tread wisely," said township engineer Robert Chankalian during the Planning Board's meeting Wednesday. Though Township Council members repeatedly have said they don't agree with the interim FEMA flood elevation maps, they voted last week to adopt the guidelines as not to jeopardize federal and other funding. Part of the ordinance adopting the maps establishes the Planning Board as the body to hear appeals from homeowners, so Chankalian discussed the process with members. When the engineer asked FEMA for …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Adopting the guidelines in an ordinance allows continued ability to receive federal funds
Though Toms River Township Council members repeatedly have said they don't agree with the interim FEMA flood elevation maps, they voted Tuesday to adopt the guidelines as not to jeopardize federal and other funding. "We're adopting them because the current executive order from the governor remains in effect and is the law of the land whether we adopt this ordinance or not," said Council President George Wittmann during the governing body's regular meeting Tuesday evening. In Superstorm Sandy's wake, Gov. Chris Christie announced in late January that the state would adopt the Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, which supersedes any municipal ordinances. FEMA officials have said the maps are on the conservative side and could be amended …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Toms River Township Engineer writes in a letter to the state DEP that FEMA maps could "incur unnecessary costs or debt" to residents
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, March 12
The following letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was sent by Toms River Township Engineer Robert Chankalian. In his correspondence, Chankalian expresses his concerns about the data FEMA used to construct its Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps and asks for revisions. Thank you for this opportunity to express Toms River Township’s position, with respect to the utilization of the FEMA ABFE maps as the 100 year Base Flood Elevation for future construction. As detailed below, Toms River has numerous questions and serious concerns regarding use of this data, and, more importantly, based on indications from FEMA that these elevations may change, the ABFE maps have caused great confusion for our residents as they try …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Christie decision to adopt FEMA's advisory flood maps will have a dramatic impact on coastal towns, but he's not backing down.
Gov. Chris Christie is adamant about his decision to adopt the Federal Emergency Management’s (FEMA) advisory flood maps. And while that decision will have a significant, and costly, impact on many of New Jersey’s shore towns, it’s a necessary step to ensure their survival, he said. Speaking at a mobile cabinet meeting in Union Beach nearly two weeks after announcing his decision to rebuild using the advisory flood maps as a guide, Christie said it was a difficult choice, but one he had to make. Even amidst opposition as shore towns and residents voice their objections to the maps and their expanded flood-prone A and V Zones, Christie’s not backing down. Whether towns and residents rebuild smarter and higher, or face the risk and high cost…
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Plans are being formulated at the state level for how to spend Hurricane Sandy relief aid, but the money hasn't come in yet.
The state is developing plans for how and where to best allocate Hurricane Sandy relief aid, writing proposals for putting together lists for its various relevant agencies, from Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Transportation. The money will come, Gov. Chris Christie told a crowd in Union Beach Tuesday, and it will be used to rebuild New Jersey and get residents back into their hurricane-ravaged homes. Be patient, he said. The check hasn't been written yet. Christie joined other local legislators in celebration after a $50.7 billion hurricane relief bill passed in a contentious U.S. House of Representatives in January before heading off to the U.S. Senate for approval and finally to President Barack Obama’s desk for a …
Patti K
8:17 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
They had better work quicker on the 'setbacks and deck construction' You may be able to raise your house but will not be able to get in it without an extension ladder. Until all falls in place no one will rebuild or raise their home! more ›