Kauai Wants To Disaster-Proof New Buildings By Putting Them On Stilts 0 Kauai would become the state’s first municipality to regulate construction based on flood projections spurred on by sea level rise.
As scientists warn of a merciless rise in sea level that could render more than 25,000 acres of statewide land uninhabitable this century, Kauai County planners are plotting new rules to defend homes and businesses from a watery demise.
The Kauai Planning Department submitted a draft ordinance to the County Council this month that would mitigate the intensifying effects of climate change by requiring owners to hoist up new construction on stilts in areas susceptible to impacts from a projected 3.2-foot increase in sea level. The proposed mandate would also apply to rebuilds where the cost of improvements to a structure equals or exceeds 50% of the market value.
If the County Council adopts the ordinance and the mayor signs off on it, Kauai would follow Boston in becoming one of the nation’s first municipalities to regulate construction based on the future impacts of two menacing symptoms of sea level rise: passive flooding and annual high-wave run up.
