FEMA: Foster City levee won’t hold back a flood, voters to decide next move

April 07--Could Foster City sink in a major storm?

For the past three years, Public Works Director Jeff Moneda and his team have been trying to determine the viability of a levee surrounding the man-made city.

"You don't have to believe in climate change to understand that this system won't work as sea levels rise," Moneda said of the 1970s rock levee that surrounds the city. "We have a reprieve from FEMA right now to fix this, but it will run out."

On June 5, Measure P is asking Foster City voters to approve a new levee wall that would shore up the existing rock levee to avoid a special flood hazard designation by FEMA -- a move that would require home owners and businesses to carry flood insurance.

A 2014 report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that storm surge hazards in the San Francisco Bay were out of date and when it re-mapped flood projections in 2016, it was clear that Foster City's rock levee wasn't going to protect the city.

That differed sharply from FEMA's previous determination in 2007 that Foster's City's levee would provide sufficient protection from the 1 percent annual chance of flood. That meant mandatory flood insurance was not required for most of the city. But more current assessments disagreed. In 2016, FEMA determined that the levee no longer provided adequate protection and gave the city until October to bring it up to standards.

Under the proposed bond measure, property owners would pay about $40 per $100,000 assessed valuation, which the city estimates would equal just over $5 million collected a year. The collection would continue for 30 years, but the initial project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021.

If voters reject the plan, FEMA would designate the entire city a flood zone and property owners will be on the hook for flood insurance, and sellers will have to disclose that as part of their sale. Flood insurance can be upwards of $2,000 a year.

The $90 million new levee would be made of earthen, block wall and steel and would run around the city along the existing bayside rock, recognized by many as the scenic bike path.

The bulk of the proposed wall would be beneath the ground.

"The foundation depth is anywhere from ten to fifteen feet," Moneda explained. "Some areas along the bike path would need to be raised by upwards of six feet to meet accreditation."

At the surface, the new levee is only about 3 feet tall.

"We're working now on the aesthetics of the exposed sections of the wall," Moneda explained. "That's what we're bringing to the planning commission and the city council in May."

He noted that public feedback has prompted the design team to consider view ports as certain scenic locations, softened slopes and anti-graffiti surface for easy washing. The design includes access points for those with disabilities and a wider bike path.

While most of the measure will impact property owners, Moneda noted that renters may be impacted by landlords who could pass the increase to tenants.

For more information about the project, visit: keepfostercitysafeanddry.org. To register to vote, visit: registertovote.ca.gov.

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