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With video: Waterways rebuild survey launched to gauge residents' vision for community

Last Updated Sep 19, 2016 at 5:44 pm MDT

IMAGE. A 2016 snapshot of an RMWB map of the flood hazard area in Waterways.

 

The RMWB is asking residents of Waterways to let them know how they want the community to rebuild. If you live in Waterways and want to participate you’re asked to call the PULSE Line at 780-743-7000. Your answers will be kept confidential.

Right now the RMWB is presenting the following three options:

  1. continuing with the status quo of building flood mitigation measures to protect Waterways and the Lower Town Site
  2. offering residents an internal land swap that would allow landowners to exchange property within the flood hazard area for property currently owned by the RMWB that is still within the community of Waterways but is outside of the flood hazard area
  3. offering residents an external land swap that would allow landowners to exchange property within the flood hazard area for property currently owned by either the provincial government or the RMWB outside of the community of Waterways, likely within the communities of Saline Creek or Parsons Creek

 

All three of these options present challenges and options 2 and 3 would require more planning and investigation by the RMWB and possible collaboration with the Government of Alberta.

The survey will also ask residents if there are other options the RMWB should be considering. At a public meeting on Thursday evening a resident suggested expropriation of land or a buyout of the land within the flood hazard area for residents who don’t want to rebuild anywhere within the region or wouldn’t consider a land swap. Erin O’Neill, Recovery Branch Lead with the RMWB, said any suggestion will be investigated if there is support behind it from residents in the community.

If the overwhelming support of the community is for rebuilding exactly where residents lost their homes in the fire the RMWB will pursue option 1, the status quo.

 

Mayor Melissa Blake has wrote to the province on August 18 asking them to provide an answer to the question of flood mitigation in Waterways. You can read that letter by clicking here.

Ethan Bayne, the chief of staff for the provincial recovery task force with the Government of Alberta, said at the meeting Thursday night the province is working to provide a response to that letter within weeks of its receipt, rather than the years it would normally take to investigate and put together a response on the question of flood mitigation for the community.

He said it is important the solution that is put in place for the community is the right one.

Bayne said the goal is to have a response by the end of September but could not make an absolute guarantee that would happen.

The response would, effectively, answer the following three questions:

  1. does the option of a demountable flood wall work to prevent flooding in this community (while some have been built worldwide it’s never been attempted in Alberta)
  2. would a demountable flood wall be eligible for the same kinds of provincial funding support for building the project for which a traditional berm would be eligible
  3. in the meantime, before any kind of mitigation is built, would residents be covered under the Disaster Recovery Program should a flood event occur

 

If the answer to all three questions is yes, then residents will be given the green-light to rebuild without any flood-proofing done on their part to their individual properties. They wouldn’t have to wait for the infrastructure to be built to start building their homes.

Within Waterways there were 134 properties destroyed inside the flood hazard area, 90 destroyed outside the flood hazard area, 30 deemed unsafe inside the flood hazard area, three deemed unsafe outside the flood hazard area, 39 left standing within the flood hazard area, and 46 left standing outside the flood hazard area.

Until there’s an answer on flood mitigation residents have some options.

If you live in Waterways and you are outside the flood hazard area you can apply now for a rebuild permit; if it meets all requirements you will be given the green-light to rebuild as soon as the RMWB formally lifts the conditional development permit by-law on September 20.

If you live in Waterways inside the flood hazard area you can submit a rebuild permit that includes your plans to adhere to the flood-proofing measures required for the part of the flood plain in which your home is situated. Then, provided your application meets all the requirements, you’ll be able to start rebuilding as soon as the conditional development permit by-law is lifted on September 20. Many insurance companies will not cover the additional costs of the flood-proofing measures, which is why the RMWB has requested that the province approve their plans for community-wide flood mitigation.

All development permits are subject to a post-demolition inspection.

To learn more about how to apply for a development permit click here.

As of September 8, the RMWB has approved 1,400 demolition permits, completed 279 post-demolition inspections and approved 53 rebuild permits across the region.

permits sept 8

If you have any questions or concerns about the permit process you can contact Planning and Development at 780-799-8695 or email current.planning@rmwb.ca, or visit them at 309 Powder Drive.

Overall questions about recovery can be addressed in several ways:

  • public engagement sessions every Thursday evening at Shell Place from 4-8
  • town hall phone calls every Monday evening at 7
  • emailing recovery@rmwb.ca
  • calling the PULSE Line at 780-743-7000.