Community Meetings for Pocasset River Flood Damage Reduction Project Set for January 2025

The meetings are being held to to provide an overview of the project and answer questions from residents of the Riverview Terrace neighborhood in Cranston and the River Avenue neighborhood in Johnston:

• The community meeting for the River Ave. neighborhood, Johnston,  will be held at the Rainone Gym, 45 Mill Street, Johnston, RI, on Jan. 6. 
• The community meeting for the Riverview Terrace neighborhood, Cranston, will be held at the Cranston Senior Center, 1070 Cranston Street, Cranston, RI, on Jan. 15. 

The meetings will be evening meetings at 6:30 p.m. for neighborhood residents.

Due to frequent flooding in these neighborhoods (and others), Senator Jack Reed secured federal funding to begin implementation of the Pocasset River Flood Damage Reduction Project, authorized under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566 (PL-566). The project is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program.

These neighborhoods were included in the Final Watershed Plan-Environmental Impact Statement for the project and select properties may be eligible for a buyout. Participation is 100% voluntary. If residents choose to participate, an appraisal of their property will be conducted free of charge to determine the fair market value as the basis for an offer of just compensation. Upon consideration, if a resident accepts the offer and agrees to sell their property at the amount established as just compensation, it will be acquired. If the offer is declined the property will not be acquired. Properties purchased will have the structures demolished and will be restored to natural floodplain conditions.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact the Disability SEPM, Allie Brown, at 401-822-8841 or allie.brown@usda.gov, or dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunication relay services. For further information on the meetings, please contact Darrell Moore, NRCS State Conservation Engineer, at 401-822-8812 or Darrell.Moore@usda.gov.

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