Fort Worth Considers Buying Flood-Prone Homes
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The City of Fort Worth is looking into purchasing a number of homes that are prone to flash flooding. The idea is to turn those properties into green spaces, maintained by the city and designed to allow floodwaters to flow through them without causing serious damage or injury.
The houses are all located in the Arlington Heights area, near the intersection of Interstate-30 and Hulen Street, southwest of the Fort Worth Cultural District. There are at least 30 homes that might be eligible for the program. Those flood-prone homes would be purchased and then promptly demolished.
According to city press secretary Cheraya Pena, the Arlington Heights neighborhood was built upon a creek bed half a century ago, and flooding has been a major problem for its homeowners. Those residents have been dealing with high water for years, and city officials have spent just as long searching for a solution.
Millions of dollars were spent on drainage improvements that should have eased the flooding concerns. And yet, just this past June, people found themselves under four feet of water. "It did not work," resident Karen Abrams said over the summer. "It is rapid and rolling through backyards and driveways."
"They need to get this crap fixed," Abrams continued. "Period."
At the time, Fort Worth city council member Dennis Shingleton explained that the drainage repairs were only designed to stop flooding during normal rains, and that no fix was available for torrential downpours. "When you get 3.7 inches of rain in one hour, very difficult to plan for that," he said.
The idea of the city buying these high-value homes, tearing them down and repurposing the property was discussed back then too, with a decision on this matter fast approaching.
Money for purchasing the homes would come from FEMA grants. The Fort Worth City Council will decide on November 15 if they should apply to receive this financial assistance. Pena explained that other options are being explored by officials as well, however, she did not offer further details.
A similar plan was discussed eight years ago, but residents at the time refused to sell. According to the proposed plan, only the homeowners who choose to accept the offer will be included in the program. City officials will not force any residents to vacate their homes.
There has already been some debate between neighbors, with opinions coming from both sides. A number of homeowners are happy to see the city take action, but others are worried about what it would mean for the overall look of the Arlington Heights neighborhood.
