The Town of Smithtown undertook a coastal resiliency project to reconstruct and elevate approximately 1,600 feet of roadway to reduce the frequency of road closures due to flooding. This section of road is critical for access and becomes impassible during flooding events.

The Town was awarded a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) sub-grant through the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES). As a subconsultant to Hayduk Engineering, GEI developed shoreline stabilization methods and living shoreline designs for the road raising project.

GEI ecologists conducted initial site visits to delineate the tidal wetland boundary and to conduct an ecological communities survey. GEI worked to develop preliminary project plans, including evaluating shoreline stabilization methods and hybrid living shoreline designs that minimized impacts to the bordering wetlands. Hayduk calculated anticipated storm damage, wave hindcasting, and the effects of sea level rise on the proposed improvements.

GEI provided a landscaping plan and Plant Schedule, including plant quantities, spacing, and updated landscape designs as required for the 30/60/90% submissions. GEI assisted in pre-permit meetings and completed a wetland restoration design for an area off-site wetland creation project to mitigate tidal wetland impacts associated with the road construction. GEI and the project team prepared and submitted state and federal permit applications and supporting documents for the proposed project.