Belmont eyes joining major levee project

“The Redwood Shores levee is already too low. [Federal Emergency Management Agency] has issued ‘seclusion,’ which means Redwood Shores should be placed in a special flood hazard area right now because it doesn’t meet FEMA’s current requirements for levee accreditation,” said Chuck Anderson, president of Schaaf & Wheeler, a consultant firm working on the project. “Without doing something, homeowners who have federally backed mortgages are going to be required to purchase flood insurance in the future.”

A lack of upgrades could require about 4,700 households to purchase flood insurance, according to the city’s website. The project would also involve levee protection along Belmont Creek, under Belmont’s jurisdiction. Anderson said if the city decides to participate in the project, including financially, it would benefit both the Redwood Shores project and residents. 

“We need Belmont, but we can also help Belmont," Anderson said. 

The city could also use the opportunity to evaluate additional levee protection measures in the Island Park neighborhood, which could be absorbed in the larger project, as sea level rise, higher tides and climate change create higher flood risk. The neighborhood's current flood protection is primarily provided by privately owned seawalls, according to a recent staff report, offering limited long-term effectiveness. Upgrading the measures as a standalone project “would likely be infeasible” due to the high costs, permitting requirements and multi-jurisdictional coordination. 

“That’s such a difficult thing for a small group of residents to do on their own,” Anderson said. 

While Belmont’s involvement is in the early stages, the City Council expressed general support for potentially joining the project.