City Finally Purchases Flood-prone House

Fairhope, Alabama


705 Cedar Avenue

CEDAR AVENUE DRAINAGE PROBLEM

According to building official Eric Cortinas, the city has finally purchased the home at 705 Cedar Avenue that has a history of being flooded during heavy rains, bringing to an end a multi-year effort (click) by owners Everette and Jackie Burnett and their family (unfortunately, Mr. Barnette passed away recently).

Constructed at the low point in the neighborhood back in the 1970s, water had actually entered the home several times over the years, the last being the April 2014 super-rainstorm.

Last June, the city council voted to accept a hazard mitigation grant of $225K from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency for the acquisition and demolition of the property: the city's required 25% matching share is about $62K of cash and in-kind work by city employees.

The post-disaster emergency management funds relating to the April 2014 rain even were under the control of Governor Bentley's office, which finally released them last May.

City public works employees will demolish the home and construct deed-restricted, open space swales there instead -- and the property maintained by the city. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Why is it the city's responsibility if the home owner built in a flood prone area? I have read something about this house before but it is puzzling to me why the city has any responsibility for it. If anyone understands this, I would be interested to hear.
Publisher said…
see: http://thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com/2014/06/city-moves-again-to-purchase-flood.html
Anonymous said…
why don't they just keep it and make it a homeless shelter for all the homeless people in town?
Ruth said…
Helping homeless people would be catastrophic to their neighbor's precious property values. That ain't gonna fly in Fairhope.