Staff Writer

Municipal officials from Cumberland and York counties learned more about a federal government proposal to remap the coastline, a plan that will affect the cost of living near the water’s edge.

Seven representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency spent Monday in two meetings to discuss a timeline for implementing the controversial maps. They met with town managers and planners who came armed with objections and concerns before the July 23 deadline for comments.

A formal 90-day appeals process will begin July 24 and the maps will be effective in June 2011.

South Portland and Cape Elizabeth staff members attended a morning meeting in South Portland.

Administrators from Scarborough, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport were on hand for an afternoon meeting in Portland.

FEMA’s new digital maps affect local flood plain designations. Preliminary maps released in 2008 identified some parts of some coastlines in flood hazard areas as Velocity Zones, or V Zones. V zones are defined as areas that have a 1 percent chance of flooding each year.

Businesses could not build or rebuild in a V Zone. Residents living in that area also would have to pay higher rates for flood insurance.

Several cities and towns, including South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, have hired Robert Gerber to challenge FEMA’s data. Gerber is an engineer at Sebago Tecnics in Westbrook.

“Appeals need to be based on scientific or technical grounds. We very much welcome that more precise information,” said David Mendelsohn of FEMA.

With Gerber’s help, Portland got FEMA to exempt its central waterfront from the V Zone designation a few weeks ago.

South Portland hopes to follow Portland’s success.

South Portland has already filed a preliminary appeal to have some parts of its coastline from the Coast Guard base on the Fore River to the Loveitt’s Field neighborhood near Cape Elizabeth exempted from a V Zone designation, according to Planning Director Tex Haeuser.

FEMA officials said they could not tell the South Portland delegation when its preliminary appeal would be decided.

 South Portland City Manager Jim Gailey urged FEMA to move quickly so he could inform the city’s residents.

“Let’s figure out what our final designations are going to be,” Gailey told the FEMA officials.

Mike Goetz of FEMA said all appeals would be processed and resolved as quickly as possible.

“As appeals are received and resolved, notices will be sent out,” Goetz said. “We will devote the resources we need to expedite the process. I want the best possible maps for Cumberland and York (counties).”

Cape Elizabeth Town Manager Mike McGovern who was at the Monday morning meeting, said, “Cape Elizabeth’s concern is the maps be accurate and they be fair. In the end, it’s really about protecting the coast. You should only build so much on the coast.”

“Cape has some sand dune areas. By definition, all sand dunes are in a V Zone,” Gerber said. “If you’re built on a sand dune, I can’t help you.”

Jay Chace, assistant planner in Scarborough, attended the Portland meeting. Chace said he wasn’t sure how much of Scarborough’s coast was in a flood zone and the town has not yet decided if it will appeal FEMA’s new flood maps.

“We haven’t really identified what our objectives are or what our position is at this point,” Chace said. “I was really sent to the meeting as a fact-finding, informational gathering more than anything else, to see what’s going on and to understand what the process is.”

Kennebunkport Town Manager Larry Mead tried unsuccessfully to convince FEMA to extend the appeals period and delay implementation of new flood maps.

“I really believe this would go a lot better if you wait. I don’t feel qualified to tell property owners how they can appeal,” Mead said. The new maps include two-thirds of our town. Everybody’s affected. It’s a big deal and they’re anxious.”

Goetz said the preliminary maps have been out since 2008 and the process has already been extended once.

“We need to move this forward,” Mendelsohn said.

“I just want it to happen as best as it can be and it’s not just the government shoving this down our throat,” Mead said.

Cities and towns must enforce FEMA regulations once the maps become effective next year, but individuals can always lodge appeals through a process called LOMAS or Letter of Map Amendment, according to FEMA.

Rick Wright can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237 or news@inthesentry.com.