After working for many years to find a way to mitigate flooding problems in the area.. the Manhattan city commission is looking to take another step toward codifying new building requirements during Tuesday night’s work session. According to city officials a new higher floodplain standard for new construction is being considered that includes plans to curb future flooding by controlling development, and rectifying past building mistakes.
Commissioner Rich Jankovich says its important to know that the future flood plain map is a tool to help mitigate further flood issues in the area, and all of the areas identified are not on the FEMA maps, and shouldn’t impact developers plans in the near future. However, former Mayor Loren Pepperd stated during public comment said if the new maps go into effect for future city planning it could still an impact on property development even if it isn’t part of the formalized FEMA flood plain map.
Jankovich recognized that could be an issue, and stated he would research with underwriting experts to see if it would have an affect on development projects.
The future flood plain map is expected to help policy makers identify key areas for building practices to help with flooding issues. Some of those included making hydrostatic basements, or ensuring portions of filled sections were balanced within the flood plain.
In the recent past commissioners were vetting building permits on a case by case basis, and hope the map will help with long range planning and codifying building within possible flood areas.
