GLOUCESTER — The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors is looking into a recommendation to increase the minimum freeboard requirement from two feet to three feet.
According to an Aug. 18 press release from the county, the recommendation was made by the county Floodplain Management Committee, which is a board that analyzes Gloucester’s coastal flood management practices gives feedback on how to strengthen flood management.
Freeboard refers to the elevation of a building’s lowest floor above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
Brent Payne, the Gloucester County Floodplain Administrator, said that the additional foot of elevation will increase flood resilience, decrease insurance rates for the individual home, and contribute toward decreased insurance rates throughout the County.
“By elevating to three feet of freeboard, the average insurance premium for Homes three feet above BFE are reduced 67 percent when compared to a home built at BFE,” Payne added.
Gloucester County will hold an informational meeting on Aug. 31, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Gloucester Main Library‘s Community Room for contractors and homebuilders. The meeting will go over any questions and concerns about the proposed regulations. The meeting is open to the general public.
