What should be done about the flood risk in your neighborhood? East Baton Rouge stormwater report not quite ready to make those recommendations
Following the 2016 flood, the city-parish hired consultants to study local hydrology with an eye on creating a plan that could be used to prioritize infrastructure projects and guide amendments to the building code.
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Ultimately, the plan will serve as an anchor for the debate over how much flood protection
As noted in a new report, authorities wanted a plan in place by the end of 2018, but work is expected to continue through 2021.
The new document, however, does show some philosophical shifts and provides a ranked list of the watersheds that need attention. From high to low, the three waterways requiring the most repair are
To arrive at the list, contractors created a new risk assessment map of
The city-parish's plan divides
The city-parish also plans to model not only the 100-year storm, but the 10-, 50- and 500-year storms as well. Transportation and drainage director
"Everything is open ... all factors," Raiford said. "I don't think anything is sacred."
The document released in the last week is not sufficiently detailed to start amending the building code. Planners had indicated they would use the Phase I report to re-examine elevation standards, subdivision retention requirements and other items, but residents will have to wait a while longer to see any change.
"There is nothing in the Phase I report that can be used to support changes to the ordinances," city-parish planning director
"I remain hopeful that we will have enough information to begin looking at changes in early 2019 at the latest."
Advocates for change were incensed.
"Without data on the state of the existing system ... the stormwater master plan is really somewhat useless," Jones said.
How the plan is finally used will rely on the local electorate.
The city-parish has already received funding for the
Mayor-President
"The mayor is shooting herself in the foot with this 30-year roads tax," Curry said.
Raiford said the stormwater debate will focus on what level of risk residents are ready to take on. That's why the stormwater master plan intends to investigate the 10-year floodplain, the 200-year floodplain and the 500-year floodplain.
Voters will have to decide how much protection they're willing to pay for. Authorities said that with a stormwater master plan in place, they can at least have a grounded debate.
"I wish we would've done this 15 years ago," Raiford said.
"I think our whole philosophy on drainage is going to change dramatically," he said. "I think we need to be more aggressive to address peoples' concerns."
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