RMAT-Northampton-HousingChoice_reportRMAT Climate Resilience Design Standards Tool Project Report
Northampton Housing ChoiceDate Created: 5/13/2022 3:46:29 PM Created By: wfeiden Download
Project Summary Link to Project
Estimated Construction Cost: $367000.00End of Life Year: 2123Project within mapped Environmental Justice
neighborhood: Yes
Ecosystem Benefits Scores
Project Score Moderate
Exposure Scores
Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge Not Exposed
Extreme Precipitation -
Urban Flooding
High Exposure
Extreme Precipitation -
Riverine Flooding
High Exposure
Extreme Heat High Exposure
Asset Summary Number of Assets: 1
Asset Risk Sea Level Rise/StormSurge Extreme Precipitation- Urban Flooding Extreme Precipitation- Riverine Flooding Extreme Heat
Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve
affordable housing Low Risk High Risk High Risk High Risk
Project Outputs
Target Planning
Horizon
Intermediate Planning
Horizon
Percentile Return Period Tier
Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge
Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve
affordable housing
Extreme Precipitation
Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve
affordable housing
2070 25-yr (4%)Tier 2
Extreme Heat
Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve
affordable housing
2070 50th Tier 2
Scoring Rationale - Exposure
Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge
This project received a "Not Exposed" because of the following:
Not located within the predicted mean high water shoreline by 2030No historic coastal flooding at project site
Not located within the Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM)
Extreme Precipitation - Urban Flooding
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This project received a "High Exposure" because of the following:
Increased impervious area
Maximum annual daily rainfall exceeds 10 inches within the overall project's useful lifeNo historic flooding at project siteExisting impervious area of the project site is between 10% and 50%
Extreme Precipitation - Riverine Flooding
This project received a "High Exposure" because of the following:
Part of the project is within a mapped FEMA floodplain, outside of the Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM)Part of the project is within 100ft of a waterbody
No historic riverine flooding at project site
Project is not likely susceptible to riverine erosion
Extreme Heat
This project received a "High Exposure" because of the following:
30+ days increase in days over 90 deg. F within project's useful life
Increased impervious area
Existing trees are being removed as part of the proposed project
Existing impervious area of the project site is between 10% and 50%
Located within 100 ft of existing water body
Scoring Rationale - Asset Risk Scoring
Asset - Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve affordable housingPrimary asset criticality factors influencing risk ratings for this asset:
Asset may inaccessible/inoperable for more than a day but less than a week after natural hazard event
Loss/inoperability of the asset would have impacts limited to the location of infrastructure onlyThe infrastructure provides services to populations that reside within Environmental Justice neighborhoods or climate vulnerable populations.Inoperability of the asset would not be expected to result in injuries
Cost to replace is less than $10 million
Impact on natural resources can be mitigated naturally with the inoperability of the asset
Project Design Standards Output
Asset: Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve affordable housing Infrastructure
Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge Low Risk
Applicable Design Criteria
Projected Tidal Datums: No
Projected Water Surface Elevation: No
Projected Wave Action Water Elevation: No
Projected Wave Heights: No
Projected Duration of Flooding: NoProjected Design Flood Velocity: NoProjected Scour & Erosion: No
Extreme Precipitation High Risk
Target Planning Horizon: 2070
Return Period: 25-yr (4%)
Applicable Design Criteria
Tiered Methodology: Tier 2
Projected Total Precipitation Depth & Peak Intensity for 24-hr Design Storms: Yes
Asset Name RecommendedPlanning Horizon Recommended ReturnPeriod (Design Storm)Projected 24-hr TotalPrecipitation Depth (inches)Step-by-Step Methodologyfor Peak Intensity
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Asset Name Recommended
Planning Horizon
Recommended Return
Period (Design Storm)
Projected 24-hr Total
Precipitation Depth (inches)
Step-by-Step Methodology
for Peak Intensity
Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to
serve affordable housing 2070 25-Year (4%)8.5 Downloadable Methodology
PDF
Limitations: While precipitation depth is useful for project planning and design, rainfall distribution and peak intensity of the design storm is
recommended to also be considered. Lower-intensity, longer-duration storms allow time for infiltration and reduce the load on the infrastructure system
over the duration of the storm. Higher-intensity, shorter-duration storms often have higher runoff volumes because the water does not have enoughtime to infiltrate and infrastructure systems (e.g., catch basins) and may overflow or back up during such storms. In the Northeast, short -duration highintensity rain events are becoming more frequent, and there is often little early warning for these events, making it difficult to plan operationally. These
events can result in the rapid inundation of the asset project location. Design should consider both short- and long-duration precipitation events and
how they may impact the asset.
The precipitation values provided by this Tool (version 1) are recommended to inform planning and design, but they do not guarantee that the asset will
be protected from or be able to withstand an extreme precipitation event. The planning, design, and review guidance accompanying these values is
general and projects are encouraged to do their own due diligence to understand the vulnerability of their asset.
Projected Riverine Peak Discharge & Peak Flood Elevation: No
Extreme Heat High Risk
Target Planning Horizon: 2070
Percentile: 50th Percentile
Applicable Design Criteria
Tiered Methodology: Tier 2
Projected Annual/Summer/Winter Average Temperatures: Yes
Projected Heat Index: Yes
Projected Growing Degree Days: No
Projected Days Per Year With Max Temp > 95°F, >90°F, <32°F: Yes
Projected Number of Heat Waves Per Year & Average Heat Wave Duration: Yes
Projected Cooling Degree Days & Heating Degree Days (base = 65°F): No
Project Inputs
Core Project Information
Name:Northampton Housing Choice
Given the expected useful life of the project, through what year do you estimate the project
to last (i.e. before a major reconstruction/renovation)?
2123
Location of Project:Northampton
Estimated Capital Cost:$367,000
Who is the Submitting Entity?City/Town Northampton Wayne Feiden(wfeiden@northamptonma.gov)Is this project identified as a priority project in the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness
(MVP) plan or the local or regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)?
Yes
Is this project being submitted as part of a state grant application?Yes
What stage are you in your project lifecycle?Design
Is climate resiliency a core objective of this project?Yes
Is this project being submitted as part of the state capital planning process?NoIs this project being submitted as part of a regulatory review process or permitting?No
Brief Project Description:Design and construction of infrastructure for four different
affordable housing projects
Project Submission Comments:Affordable housing, by definition, serves environmental justice
and climate vulnerable populations. In providing infrastructure to
support new housing within the urban core area, and not onbrownfields site, the project is providing more resilience benefitsthan even the most climate focused project in greenfield
developments or projects serving other populations.
Project Ecosystem Benefits
Factors Influencing Output
✓ Project reduces storm damage
✓ Project promotes decarbonization
✓ Project recharges groundwater
✓ Project filters stormwater using green infrastructure
✓ Project protects fisheries, wildlife, and plant habitat
✓ Project provides recreation
✓ Project prevents pollution
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Factors to Improve Output
✓ Incorporate nature-based solutions that may provide flood protection
✓ Protect public water supply by reducing the risk of contamination, pollution, and/or runoff of surface and groundwater sources used for human
consumption
✓ Incorporate nature-based solutions that improve water quality
✓ Incorporate nature-based solutions that sequester carbon carbon
✓ Preserve, enhance, and/or restore coastal shellfish habitats
✓ Incorporate vegetation that provides pollinator habitat
✓ Identify opportunities to remediate existing sources of pollution
✓ Increase plants, trees, and/or other vegetation to provide oxygen production
✓ Mitigate atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and other toxic air pollutants through nature-based solutions
✓ Incorporate education and/or protect cultural resources as part of your project
Is the primary purpose of this project ecological restoration?
No
Project Benefits
Provides flood protection through nature-based solutions NoReduces storm damage Yes
Recharges groundwater Yes
Protects public water supply No
Filters stormwater using green infrastructure Yes
Improves water quality No
Promotes decarbonization YesEnables carbon sequestration No
Provides oxygen production No
Improves air quality No
Prevents pollution Yes
Remediates existing sources of pollution No
Protects fisheries, wildlife, and plant habitat YesProtects land containing shellfish NoProvides pollinator habitat No
Provides recreation Yes
Provides cultural resources/education No
Project Climate Exposure
Is the primary purpose of this project ecological restoration?No
Does the project site have a history of coastal flooding?No
Does the project site have a history of flooding during extreme precipitation events(unrelated to water/sewer damages)?No
Does the project site have a history of riverine flooding?No
Does the project result in a net increase in impervious area of the site?Yes
Are existing trees being removed as part of the proposed project?Yes
Project Assets
Asset: Water, sewer, driveway, sidewalk to serve affordable housing
Asset Type: Utility InfrastructureAsset Sub-Type: WastewaterConstruction Type: New Construction
Construction Year: 2023
Useful Life: 100
Identify the length of time the asset can be inaccessible/inoperable without significant consequences.
Infrastructure may be inaccessible/inoperable for more than a day, but less than a week after natural hazard without consequences.Identify the geographic area directly affected by permanent loss or significant inoperability of the infrastructure.Impacts limited to location of infrastructure only
Identify the population directly served that would be affected by the permanent loss or significant inoperability of the infrastructure.
Less than 5,000 people
Identify if the infrastructure provides services to populations that reside within Environmental Justice neighborhoods or climate vulnerable
populations.
The infrastructure provides services to populations that reside within Environmental Justice neighborhoods or climate vulnerable populations.Will the infrastructure reduce the risk of flooding?
No
If the infrastructure became inoperable for longer than acceptable in Question 1, how, if at all, would it be expected to impact people's health and
safety?
Inoperability of the infrastructure would not be expected to result in injuries
If there are hazardous materials in your infrastructure, what are the extents of impacts related to spills/releases of these materials?There are no hazardous materials in the infrastructureIf the infrastructure became inoperable for longer than acceptable in Question 1, what are the impacts on other facilities, assets, and/or infrastructure?
Minor – Inoperability will not likely affect other facilities, assets, or buildings
If the infrastructure was damaged beyond repair, how much would it approximately cost to replace?
Less than $10 million
Does the infrastructure function as an evacuation route during emergencies? This question only applies to roadway projects.
No
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If the infrastructure became inoperable for longer than acceptable in Question 1, what are the environmental impacts related to natural resources?
Impact on natural resources can be mitigated naturally
If the infrastructure became inoperable for longer than acceptable in Question 1, what are the impacts to government services (i.e. the infrastructure is
not able to serve or operate its intended users or function)?
Loss of infrastructure may reduce the ability to maintain some government services, while a majority of services will still exist
What are the impacts to loss of confidence in government resulting from loss of infrastructure functionality (i.e. the infrastructure asset is not able toserve or operate its intended users or function)?Reduced morale and public support
Report Comments
Affordable housing, by definition, serves environmental justice and climate vulnerable populations. In providing infrastructure to support new housing within the
urban core area, and not on brownfields site, the project is providing more resilience benefits than even the most climate focused project in greenfield
developments or projects serving other populations.
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