Flood Mitigation Efforts to be Expanded in Parsippany

The Morris County Board of Select Freeholders have given final approval for the buyout of 11 more severely flood-damaged homes so that they can become community open space.

The move authorizes spending $540,510 to provide a 25 percent match for the Hurricane Irene Hazard Mitigation grant funds received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA’s 75 percent cost share totals $945,892 for these properties, said Jennifer McCulloch, coordinator of the Flood Mitigation Program.

Between the federal and county efforts, Parsippany won't have to spend a cent in the buyout.

The freeholders' Flood Mitigation Program, launched in the wake of 2011's Irene, helps municipalities purchase flood-prone houses from willing sellers and convert them to permanently preserved open space, which acts as a natural flood storage area for the community.

The Parsippany properties are among 79 flood acquisition projects currently
underway in Morris County under the program, according to McCulloch.

The township received preliminary approval from the freeholders in May 2012. With this final okay, Parsippany may proceed with closing on these properties.

Freeholder approval was based on recommendations of the Morris County
Flood Mitigation Committee, which reviewed the applications and due diligence materials provided by Par-Troy officials.

Freeholder Ann Grossi, a Parsippany resident, serves as program liaison. She said that this is the first county-level dedicated flood mitigation program in
the state.

The Flood Mitigation Program is an expansion of the Morris County Open Space, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust, and is funded by the county’s open space tax. It is designed to move people out of harm’s way and reduce municipal costs, while also creating permanent, sustainable flood storage areas that protect the municipality’s remaining homes and businesses.

Costs for demolition, elevation or other non-acquisition mitigation techniques
are not eligible under the county’s program.

For more information on the program, interested owners of severely flood-damaged homes may contact McCulloch at 973-829-8120.