Chester Planning board to address flood risk at March 21 public meeting

The Chester Planning Commission will hold a special public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 21 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. in Chester, to discuss minimizing risks from future flooding in the town.

The Planning Commission is embarking on a planning process to better understand the community’s risks associated with flooding, and identify policies and action steps that will enable Chester to better withstand and bounce back from future flooding events. The purpose of this meeting is to present information about these flooding risks and to get your input on how best to reduce those community risks.

Chester is located at the confluence of the Williams River and Middle Branch of the Williams River, and sustained significant damage during Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 and again in the storms of July 2014.

Information gathered at this meeting will be incorporated into the development of a new Town Plan element, which is intended to encourage flood resiliency.