To protect or purchase

The Austin City Council is still weighing whether it should acquire or protect homes near Lions Park as part of a flood mitigation plan, and residents appear split too.

In a Monday work session, council members got more information on proposed plans for flood mitigation for an area adjacent to Second Avenue Northeast, or the Lions Park Project.

The council first discussed the plans on March 7, but members wanted more information. Since then, Public Works Director Steven Lang sent out 17 letters and received nine back. Six were in favor of the city acquiring their property and three were in favor of getting protection with a flood wall.

“There was no real consensus with the results,” Lang said.

During a high water event, about one foot of water would affect the homes in this area, Lang said.

The City Council took no action on the proposals during Monday’s work session.

The proposed flood project would include a 500-foot berm, 350-foot levee, a Second Avenue Northeast roadway closure during a high water or flood event, and extensive storm sewer upgrades. There are no immediate plans to replace or renovate the bridge on that road, Public Works Director Steven Lang said.

Lang said there are about 17 residential properties and one business property in the floodplain area, which is between Fourth Avenue Northeast and Second Avenue Northeast.

The city has worked with SEH Inc., the same company that performed a comprehensive plan survey earlier this year, to complete soil boring, preliminary layout and a construction estimate, which came to $3.5 million and that also includes a new program required by the Cedar River Watershed District to purchase credits upstream in the watershed to offset the displaced floodplain water, Lang said.

The other option is acquiring the homes and redeveloping that area, and the cost for acquiring those properties is $1.2 million.

Mayor Tom Stiehm asked if the area could be redeveloped with residential housing like condos or apartments.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Holly Wallace said it could, but it would be in a difficult location because of the flood risk.

“If it’s what you want to look at, it will take time,” Wallace said.

She recommended using a risk assessment, especially for developers who might want to know if they can get funding, mortgages, and insurance for whatever they put in that area.

The council did agree to let Lang collect more data from residents in that area and make another presentation at a later time.