Groton urged to plan now for more powerful storms to come

Groton - Becoming a more energy efficient, bicycle and pedestrian friendly town is one way Groton can respond to the challenges of climate change, local officials and residents told the panel tasked with developing a climate change plan for the town.

Another way, said George Bradner of the state Insurance Department, is to get residents and emergency planning officials to do more to prepare for hurricanes and more intense and frequent storms climate scientists say are inevitable as carbon dioxide levels increase, and sea levels and global average temperatures continue to rise.

"One of the things I would like to see is communities along the shoreline getting ready and taking seriously what's going to happen," said Bradner, insurance director of the department's Property and Casualty Division. "We know it's going to happen, but if people are prepared they'll be able to get back in their homes more quickly, and they won't be living in a FEMA trailer on their property."

Bradner accompanied his remarks to the Groton Task Force on Climate Change and Sustainable Community with PowerPoint slides showing rising insurance rates for coastal properties and the value of property in Connecticut that is vulnerable. One slide showed Connecticut second only to Florida in the percentage of insured coastal property compared to other property. Some 79 percent of Florida's insured property is in vulnerable coastal areas, compared to 63 percent of Connecticut's.

The meeting Thursday morning was the second of four scheduled by the seven-member panel, formed by the Town Council in 2008 to recommend a climate change plan of action for the town. The task force had asked the public, local officials, businesses and nonprofit groups for suggestions about how the town should respond and adapt to climate change while also making the town more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, improving the quality of life and enhancing its economy.

Frank Socha, chairman of the Noank Fire District, prefaced his remarks to the panel by saying that he believes climate change is a natural phenomenon, and not primarily caused by carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels as most climate scientists conclude. Despite that, he favors the town becoming more energy efficient and reducing consumption of fossil fuels. The Noank firehouse, he noted, is now using 30 percent less energy after insulation was installed.

"We need to look at every building," he said. "We should be using solar panels to light parking lots" as well as solar panels on school roofs.

To save energy, adult education should not be offered during the day instead of a nighttime during the winter, he said, and students should not be allowed to drive or be dropped off in private cars at school.

"The buses are one third full," he said. "And we should eliminate the use of drive-throughs, and get people out of their cars and walking."

Rick Norris of the town's Planning Department and Wes Greenleaf, buildings and grounds director for the schools, listed the many steps taken to make municipal and school buildings energy efficient.

Noank resident Nancy d'Estang called for tighter regulations and more taxes on development that is not environmentally friendly.

"We should tax excess lawns and pools and impervious surfaces, use gray water systems, and outlaw construction that is not environmentally sensitive, such as waterfront areas," she said.

Two members of a committee working to create a trail connecting Groton, Ledyard and Preston - Dave Holdridge, a Ledyard town councilor, and landscape architect Chad Frost of Groton - said the creation of bike- and pedestrian-friendly pathways needs to become a priority rather than an afterthought.

The final meetings will take place July 7 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and July 12 from 7 to 10 p.m., both at the town hall annex.

j.benson@theday.com