[Durham INC] Fw: Rezoning being considered for a flood plain?

[Christine Chamberlain]

Melissa, thank you for sending news about this to the listserv.  I've not been paying attention to the news as closely as I should lately.

 
Christine Chamberlain

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Christine Chamberlain <christinebbd at yahoo.com>
To: "Council at DurhamNC.Gov" <Council at DurhamNC.Gov> 
Cc: "durhamplanningcommission at durhamnc.gov" <durhamplanningcommission at durhamnc.gov> 
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 9:26 PM
Subject: Rezoning being considered for a flood plain?
 

I saw the news that an area under 
consideration for rezoning (4104, 4108, 4110 South Alston Ave) contains a floodplain. Surely this floodplain is not being considered as an area for new development?


I'm enclosing photos of Little Lick Creek in east Durham county.  Development of the flood plain along this creek during the 90's and 00's has led to polluted run-off as you can see in my photos.  These were taken after a short rain fall on July 5th, last summer.

I live in Grove Park subdivision.  Although the Grove Park development is large, with over 1,000 homes, as a whole it is a small percentage of the private properties that line Little Lick Creek.    Little Lick Creek flows into, and out of, the Grove Park lake.  Engineers recently gave our HOA a report regarding a severe sediment problem in our lake.  I'm also enclosing the engineers report so you can see what happens when you choose to place tax
 revenue/development needs above the needs of a flood plain to take care of our water supplies.

When will the planning commission learn from the mistakes of the past?  I'm asking the planning commission, and the city council,  to consider changing our ordinances to better protect what
 remains of our floodplains!  Grove Park is facing the possibility of dredging our lake within the next 10 years, and the cost estimates could reach $600,000.   Unfortunately, this is merely a "bandaid", and the lake will need dredging every 20 years or so... until the flood plains are restored.  

Mike Dupree, from the Durham Water and Soil Conservation District, has been developing a plan with engineers to help Grove Park use state grant programs to restore our flood plains, but this process will take years, and hundreds of thousands in dollars.  And even when we're finished... Grove Park is only a small percentage of the Little Lick floodplain!  

You MUST stop developing flood plains in Durham county.

Christine Chamberlain
15 Trescott Dr.
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 697-6830  cell
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