Let me see if I have this right.
The Lone Tree Creek retention was built a quite few years ago. In fact the dirt from the pond was used to build the overpasses on Loop 463. How long ago was that?
Anyway, when the retention pond was proposed it was claimed that it would remove property from the flood zone. A study was voted on approved by the City Council to modify the flood plan map. Again, how long ago was that? At least 2001 if I remember right.
About 3 years ago, I asked my insurance agent that since the retention pond had been built at least five years before, that if a piece of property that is still in my name, still required flood insurance. He said "Well it's on the border line by the current 1981 maps, the city says they will apply to update the flood zone maps because of the retention pond. In other words, Yeah you still need flood insurance, the city hasn't modified the map.
TODAY, 5/19/2011, ten years later,a letter arrives from Atkins North American Inc., with the results of the study to modify the flood pain map, which basically says that "your property", not the one I asked about btw, has either changed from it previous flood plain status +1% or -1% for a hundred year flood.
To Quote...
"The BFE and floodway shall be revised from a point 1,550 feet downstream of the Southern Pacific Railroad to a point just downstream of John Stockbauer Drive. The LOMR will result in increases and decrease in the 1% annual chance of water-surface elevations with a maximum increas of 0.8 feet at a point approximately 350 upstream of Business 59 and a maximum decrease in the 1% annual water-surface elevation of 2.8 feet at a point approximately 900 feet upstream of Miori Lane. As a result of the floodway revision the floodway shall widen and/or narrow with a maximum widening of 710 feet at a point approximately 1,150 feet downstream of Airline Road and a maximum narrowing of 750 feet at a point approximately 1,250 feet upstream of Ben Jordon Street."
Did you get that????
The last sentence says... "Please feel free to contact Mr. John Johnston at 361-485-3320, at the City of Victoria, if you have any questions or concerns about the proposed changes or its effect on your property."
Now, how much did the city and county pay for this study that has taken 10 years to complete, and what exactly does it say? Guess I will have to call, but since the property wasn't in the flood plain before, why would it change after the retention pond was built?
Taxpayer funded studies are so much fun, I swear.
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Do you suppose they think that by commissioning all these studies for everything, it takes the heat off of the councilmen who vote for these crazy expenditures? In other words, they can claim, "Well, the experts said we needed to do _______________."
ReplyDeleteThat's what the Mayor did at the last CC meeting. He said a hotel chain they met with in November said to do a feasibility study for hotels, so the mayor asked for a motion,and $30,000.00 was spent just like that!
Insanity!
I hear ya EA. I had forgot about the flood plain study I mentioned. After all, all these years have gone by, I figured the retention pond didn't have the desired effect. Then today along comes the letter.
ReplyDeleteWhy the long delay? Who knows. I do seem to remember the CC at the time claiming that this would remove land from the flood plain and open it up for development. No emergency here, or was there? I might have to search the archives. lol