Milton Town Council formally signed off on plans to acquire property at 102 Collins St. that the town plans to use for flood mitigation off Front Street.

The town was awarded $152,000 in Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation funds toward the $168,000 project, a 90/10 split, with the rest of the money coming from the town. 

The 750-square-foot block building on the property has sat vacant for more than 20 years, according to the town’s grant application. The one-story home, built in 1950, had been used as a residence, but it is boarded up with no utility service connected. The property is subject to flooding during extreme weather events like nor’easters or thunderstorms combined with higher tides. The building is 3 feet above sea level. 

According to the town's grant application, the house, located at the corner of Front and Collins streets, is subject to flooding at 2 feet or more several times per year in perpetuity. However, the town is limited in what flood mitigation it can do on Front Street, as that road is managed by the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Most of the cost of the project, $150,000, went toward the purchase of the property. The plan is to demolish the house and reseed the land. There are no plans to resell the parcel, as the town will deed-restrict it as open space.