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Cooper Creek restudy underway; proposed FEMA map changes would remove most properties from flood zone but add three
Summary
Consultants presented early results of a Cooper Creek restudy. A Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) under preparation would reduce the number of properties in the mapped floodplain from 83 to 19 while adding three properties into the regulatory floodplain; council requested notice to affected property owners before any submission to FEMA.
City consultants updated Council on a Cooper Creek floodplain restudy initiated after a landowner’s request. The study covers about 1.8 miles of the creek from Smith Lake downstream to just below Miller Road. Consultants said older FEMA maps (last revised in 1979 for this reach) were inaccurate in several places and that a reanalysis of cross sections and updated lidar and field survey data produced markedly different flood limits.
What the study found: Using updated survey and hydrologic modeling, the team reported the reach under study would reduce the number of properties in the mapped flood area from 83 to 19 overall; 67 properties that were previously within the mapped floodplain would be removed, 16 would remain in the floodplain, and three currently not in the floodplain would be added into the regulatory floodplain/floodway under the new model. The consultant said a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) will be prepared for FEMA review; the LOMR process typically takes several months.
Why it matters: Being inside a mapped FEMA floodplain can require flood insurance and limit the ability to pull building permits without additional approvals. Conversely, removing properties from a floodplain can relieve property owners of those restrictions. The city attorney and staff reminded council that local permitting decisions must continue to follow currently adopted maps until FEMA accepts any official LOMR.
Council directions: Council requested staff to notify the small set of property owners who would be newly placed in the regulatory floodplain before any map materials are formally submitted to FEMA. Staff said the consultant’s LOMR package will be completed and that FEMA review typically requires about four and a half months once submitted.
Next steps: Wagoner (subconsultant working on the hydraulic/flood modeling) will complete the LOMR submission. The city will provide notice to affected property owners and return to council with a schedule and copies of the modeling and maps prior to formal FEMA submission.
Ending: Council endorsed completing the LOMR and directed staff to make contact with owners of properties that would be newly affected; staff emphasized the city will not issue building permits based on the proposed maps until FEMA acts and the city’s adopted maps are updated.
