FLOOD MITIGATION GUIDE:MARYLAND’S HISTORIC BUILDINGS

JUNE 2018

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

© 2018, State of Maryland

Cover Image: Cove Point Lighthouse, 2003. Lusby, Calvert County.

PREPARATIONThe Flood Mitigation Guide: Maryland’s Historic Buildings, was prepared by:

Dominique M. Hawkins, AIA, LEED AP, NCARBPRESERVATION DESIGN PARTNERSHIP, LLCPhiladelphia, PA. www.pdparchitects.com

PREFACE

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

FLOODING & FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENTA. FLOODING

B. FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT

HISTORIC PRESERVATION & EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTA. PLANNING & PREPAREDNESS

B. RESPONSE & RECOVERY

C. MITIGATION

D. ADAPTATIONPLAYERS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & THEIR

ROLES

SELECTING PRESERVATION-SENSITIVE MITIGATION OPTIONSA. COMMUNITY-WIDEMITIGATIONSTRATEGIES

B. PROPERTY-SPECIFICMITIGATIONSTRATEGIES

APPENDICESA. CASE STUDIES: MARYLAND’S HISTORIC

COMMUNITIESB. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Flood Mitigation Guide:Maryland’s Historic Buildings - June 2018

iPreface

PREFACE

A. PROJECT GOALSThe State of Maryland, with its extensive tidal shoreline, riverine shorelines and watersheds, is highly vulnerable to flooding from risingseas, subsidence, coastal storms, flash flooding, riverine flooding, andstormwaterrunoff.Oftendevelopednearwaterways,historiccommunitiesareparticularlyvulnerabletoflooding,which,inmanyareas,isincreasinginfrequencyandvolumeoverhistorictrendsduetoclimatechange.

Today, preservation planners and advocateswhowish to help historicproperties withstand flooding may find themselves confused andhindered by complex and contradictory policies, regulations, andpractices. To help bridge the gaps between floodplain management,emergencymanagement,climateadaptation,andhistoricpreservation,this GuidewasundertakenandadministeredbytheMarylandHistoricalTrust (MHT) with financial assistance provided by the National ParkService (NPS) under the Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Provide DisasterRelieftoHistoricPropertiesDamagedbyHurricaneSandy.

We have chosen to present this Guide in a sequence that first explainsfloodplain management and then follows the steps of the emergencymanagement cycle: planning, response, recovery, and mitigation. Giventhe projected impacts of climate change on historic properties, we haveadded adaptation as an additional step. Following this sequence helpsus demonstrate that the interaction of preservation and emergencymanagementneeds tooccurateachof thesesteps tobe truly successful.This Guidethereforecreatesaframeworkthroughwhichlocalpreservationplannersandadvocatescanbetterunderstandfloodplainmanagementandengageinlocalandstateemergencymanagementprocesses.AsthisGuide demonstrates, floodplain and emergency management efforts are largelylocally-focused,andassuch,itislargelyuptolocalplannersandadvocatestoensurethathistoricpreservationhasaseatatthetable.

Figure 1 - Sandy Point Shoal Light Station. Annapolis, Anne Arundel County.

Flood Mitigation Guide:Maryland’s Historic Buildings - June 2018

iiPreface

B. PROJECT APPROACH

B.1 THEPROJECTTEAM

The project teamwas led by PreservationDesign Partnership, LLC(PDP)ofPhiladelphia,PAwithDominiqueM.Hawkins,AIA servingas the Project Manager and principal author. Assistance wasprovidedbySarahBlitzerwhoconductedpreliminary researchandparticipated insitevisits,aswellasMaryDempseyLau,AIA,SarahRipple andDianneLoftis, all ofPDP. WendyLathrop,PLS,CFMofCadastralConsultingsharedherfloodplainexpertisewiththeprojectteam.TheprojectteamwasretainedbyMHTpursuanttoaRequestforProposalprocess.

At MHT, the staff working group was composed of individualsrepresenting the organization’s major programs and disciplines.Working group members participated in meetings with PDP,participated in site visits for thisGuide, provided input on drafts,and facilitated contact with local communities vulnerable toflooding:

ElizabethHughes,DirectorandStateHistoricPreservationOfficer

AnneRaines,DeputyDirector/DeputyStateHistoricPreservationOfficer

MichaelDay,DeputyDirector/DeputySHPO,ChiefofOfficeofPreservation Services (OPS)

MarciaMiller,ChiefofOfficeofResearch,Survey,andRegistration (ORSR)

NellZiehl,ChiefofOfficeofPlanning,Education,andOutreach(OPEO)

BethCole,Administrator,ReviewandCompliance(inOPS)

PeterKurtze,Administrator,Evaluation&Registration(inORSR)

JenniferSparenberg,HazardMitigationOfficer(inOPEO)

The MHT working group was coordinated by Anne Raines, andNell Ziehl, and Jennifer Sparenbergprovided substantial additionalcontent for and revisions to the Guide,drawingonMHT’sexperiencevia its statewide Weather It Together program, which providesfunding and technical assistance tohistoric communitiesgrapplingwith hazard mitigation, emergency response and recovery, andclimate adaptation. Inspired by the pioneering work undertakenbytheCityofAnnapolisinplanningforsea-levelrise,theWeatherItTogetherprogramwasalsosupportedbytheNationalParkServiceunder the Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Provide Disaster RelieftoHistoricPropertiesDamagedbyHurricaneSandy.

Flood Mitigation Guide:Maryland’s Historic Buildings - June 2018

iiiPreface

B.2 METHODOLOGY

The preparation of this Guide occurred between September 2015andJune2018inthreephases:• Phase I: Research and Data Collection – The project team

reviewed reports and publications related to past floodingin Maryland; the existing federal and State of Maryland regulatory framework related toemergencymanagement andhistoric preservation; the current hazard mitigation process;and examples of best practices for floodmitigation from theUnitedStatesandabroad. Asynopsisoftheteam’sfindingsispresentedinAppendix B - Annotated Bibliography.

• Phase II: Site Visits / Local Outreach –For thesitevisitphase,the project team, accompanied by representatives of MHT,visited thirteen communities with a range of flooding typesand challenges across the State. Each site visit included a tour aswell asameetingwith local representativeswhodescribedthe changes to their communities, past flood events, and anystrategiesbeingimplementedtoaddressflooding.Thefindingsfromeachcommunity,aswellaspotentialmitigationstrategies,are included in section Appendix A - Case Studies: Maryland’s Historic Communities.

• Phase III: Preparation of this Guide – Following the research andsitevisitphases,theprojectteamworkedcloselywithMHTto prepare the body of thisGuide. The Guide draft was then circulated for feedback to representatives of state agenciesand organizations with experience in flooding and historicpreservation,andrevisedwithinputfromthesereviews.

AlthoughMHT recognizes the vulnerability of archaeological sitesandlandscapestoflooddamage,thefocusofthisGuide is the long-termprotectionofhistoricbuildings.Somestrategiesregardingthecollection of threatened archaeological resources are addressed in the Shady Side site visit report in Appendix A - Case Studies: Maryland’s Historic Communities. MHT intends to prepare morethoroughguidanceforarcheologicalsitesandnaturalhazardsasafollow-uptothis Guide.

C. FUTURE PLANSThis GuidewillbeusedtoinformMHTprograms,includingthetechnicalassistance offered by MHT through its Weather It Together program,aswellasmulti-agencystateeffortsthroughtheMarylandCommissionon Climate Change’s Adaptation and ResponseWorking Group. MHTintendstoupdatethe Guide asstateandfederalpoliciesandregulationschange.Ideally,intime,theGuidewillhelpunderpineducationaleffortsandlocalpoliciesgearedtowardspropertyownerswhowishtoprotecttheirindividualhistoricproperties.

Figure 2 - Photograph of storyboard from the Annapolis Weather It Together Design Charrette held on April 30, 2016. Illustration by Jim Nuttle.

Flood Mitigation Guide:Maryland’s Historic Buildings - June 2018

iHow to Use This Guide

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEWhat is it?

This Guide is a“roadmap” tohelp localgovernmentsandpreservationadvocatesprotecthistoricpropertiesintheircommunitiesfromflooding.Whileitaddressesspecificstrategiessuchasfloodproofingandelevatingbuildingsthatmaybeuseful forpropertyowners, theGuide focuses on what communities can do before, during, and after a flood to ensurethat historic preservation is considered within the ongoing process ofemergencymanagement. To that end, theGuide provides a primer onissues such as flooding, floodplain management, and the emergencymanagement cycle, and each section of the Guide illustrates ways to incorporate and address the protection of historic buildingswithin theexisting regulatory framework. The Guide does not prescribe specifictreatments,butrathersuggestsandanalyzesoptionsfordecision-making.

Who is it for?Although geared primarily toward local preservation planners, the Guide shouldbenefitanyoneattempting tomeet thecombinedgoalsofhistoricpreservation and emergency management, including state and localplanners,floodplainmanagers,emergencymanagers,historicpreservationconsultants, preservation advocates, and public officials. The MarylandHistorical Trust (MHT) will use the Guide to inform its own programs,includingprojectreview,localgovernmentassistance,andincentives.

Where do I start?The Guide can be read cover-to-cover or according to the needs and interests of the reader. Each section is relatively self-contained. For instance, a local government prone to storms and occasional,devastatingfloodsmaywish to startwithResponseandRecovery, toensure that historic preservation is considered within its emergencyresponse plans. (Refer to Response & Recovery, page 2.39.) The five-year hazard mitigation plan update required by FEMA is the perfecttimetoimplementsomeoftherecommendationsoutlinedinPlanningand Preparedness. (Refer to Planning & Preparedness, page 2.3.)

Figure 3 - August 2017 public meeting for Annapolis’s Weather It Together initiative.

Flood Mitigation Guide:Maryland’s Historic Buildings - June 2018

iiHow to Use This Guide

Historicpreservationcommissionstaffconfusedaboutpropertyownerrequeststoreducefloodinsurancepremiumscanreaduponfloodplainmanagement and the National Flood Insurance Program. (Refer to Floodplain Management, page 1.15, and National Flood Insurance Program, page 1.17.)Andforplanningofficesconsideringcodeupdatesorspecificmitigationtreatmentsforhistoricproperties,theGuideoffersadviceinthesectionsrelatedtoMitigationandAdaptation.(Refer to Mitigation, page 2.49, Adaptation, page 2.65, and Chapter 3: Selecting Preservation-Sensitive Mitigation Options.)

Withineachchapter,majorsectionsbeginwithacontentdescriptiontohelpthereaderidentifythemostappropriatestartingpoint.Thefollowingisasummaryofeachchapter.

1.0 Flooding & Floodplain Management provides an overview ofthehistoryofMaryland’swaterfrontdevelopment,major stormevents inMaryland, typesof flooding, trends, andeffects. Thischapter describes floodplain regulation and flood insurance,explainshowfloodmapsareused,andoutlinespotentialconflictsbetweenfloodinsurancerequirementsandhistoricpreservation.

2.0 Historic Preservation & Emergency Management describes ways to consider and plan for historic propertieswithin theemergency management cycle (planning and preparedness,response and recovery, mitigation), as well as climateadaptation. It also includes a brief introduction to theemergencymanagement regulatory context andkeyplayersatalllevelsofgovernment.

3.0 Selecting Preservation-Sensitive Mitigation Options describes andoutlinestheprosandconsofdifferenttreatments,onbothacommunity-widelevelandforindividualproperties.

Appendix A. Case Studies: Maryland’s Historic Communities providessnapshots of thirteen Maryland communities, describing thetypes of flooding they experience, the effects of this flooding,and,insomecases,theirfloodmitigationstrategies.Becausethefeatured communities are geographically dispersedwith a varietyofhistoricpropertytypes,andarepronetofloodingfromavarietyofsources,thecasestudieswillhelpreadersunderstandhowfloodmitigationstrategiescanfunctioninarangeofsettings.

Where can I learn more?ForreaderswhowishtoexploretheGuide’s topics inmoredepth,theAnnotated Bibliography includes a range of reports and publicationsrelatedtothehistoryoffloodinginMaryland;thefederalandStateofMaryland regulatory framework forfloodingandhistoricpreservation;documentsrelatedtofloodingandthehazardmitigationprocess;andexamplesofbestpracticesforfloodmitigationfromtheUnitedStatesand abroad. (Refer to Appendix B: Annotated Bibliography.) Most of the publications included are available on the internet, facilitatingin-depth review. As part of its Weather It Together program, MHTprovides trainingmaterials, case studies and other resources for localgovernmentsengagedinhistoricpreservation,emergencymanagementandclimateadaptation.ReadersarealsowelcometocontactMHTfortechnicalassistanceandinformationontrainingopportunities.