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Board approves floodplain permit for Matzah Road bridge replacement; mitigation plan includes historic documentation
Summary
Linn County approved a conditional-use floodplain permit for a one-lane bridge replacement on Matzah Road that will raise the deck, requires mitigation for loss of a National Register-listed structure and includes approvals from state and federal agencies.
The Linn County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional-use floodplain permit for excavation in the FEMA-designated special flood hazard area to replace the Matzah Road bridge north of Springville.
Senior planner Mike Tertinger presented background to the board: the existing bridge was constructed in 1939 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The project calls for removing a roughly 300-by-20-foot bridge and replacing it with a roughly 300-by-40-foot steel-beam bridge. Because the excavation within the floodplain exceeds one acre, county floodplain rules require a conditional-use floodplain permit and county review to enable Linn County to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Tertinger told the board the project team obtained approvals and documentation required by other agencies, including a no-rise certification from the project engineer and review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps' approval included a memorandum of agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office, Linn County Conservation, and the county roads department; mitigation measures described in the MOA include creation and maintenance of a website about the bridge and the Matzah family, signage on site and retaining historic documentation.
Staff said the roads department expects the new bridge deck to be raised about 6–8 feet to improve clearance and that neighbors were notified; a nearby resident had raised concerns about speeding and would work with the roads department on any speed-limit adjustments. County staff said the project conforms to the floodplain overlay performance standards and recommended approval subject to the conditions in the report.
No members of the public appeared at the hearing to speak. The board voted to approve the conditional-use floodplain permit (PC 25-0002) on roll call with Alden, Hoover and Martin voting yes.
Conditions of approval include the usual county requirements for work in the special flood hazard area and the mitigation measures described in the MOA with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Army Corps of Engineers.
