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Resident describes decades-long flooding; council weighs engineering and FEMA mitigation steps
Summary
Resident Adam Kennedy presented historical research, drone and hydro-jetting evidence, and a technical plan for chronic flooding on the 1st/2nd Street loop. He urged culvert review, culvert-sizing engineering, and pursuing a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan to qualify for FEMA funding for drainage improvements.
A Westfir resident and property owner laid out a multi-pronged case that chronic stormwater flooding in the 1st/2nd Street loop requires engineering review and regional coordination.
"So my name is Adam Kennedy," he told the council, and then summarized research from a 1979 Westborough plat showing early pooling in the area and private drainage easements that were intended to route stormwater to McLean Creek. Kennedy said he hydro-jetted an easement pipe, hired a drone to document culvert performance during high flow, recorded elevations and streamflow observations, and assembled photos and invoices into a shared cloud drive for engineers and county staff to review.
Kennedy pointed to a potential bottleneck at a culvert under Westford Road. He said he filed a formal complaint with county roads staff and was told the culvert is not scheduled for replacement. Kennedy said he has engaged engineers to estimate appropriate culvert sizing and articulated next steps to back-calculate McLean Creek discharge using nearby gauges and precipitation data.
He also described immediate, homeowner-installed temporary measures: a 0.5-horsepower sump pump and a 200-foot hose to McLean Creek, and plans to install a higher-capacity sealed sump (700-gallon capacity) and localized grading to protect septic and foundations this spring.
On broader avenues for funding, Kennedy advised the council that the Lane County multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan includes a line item for drainage improvements on the 1st/2nd Street loop; he said Westfir would need an eligible local natural hazards mitigation plan to be considered for FEMA hazard-mitigation funding. Kennedy said county OEM contacts told him Westfir is eligible to request projects through 2028 but that a local mitigation plan and cost-benefit documentation are required to access funds.
Councilors and staff said they would research what's required for a local natural-hazards mitigation plan and follow up with county contacts; staff agreed to send Kennedy and councilors relevant county contacts and documentation. The council did not take a formal vote but committed to looking into engineering and grant steps.
Kennedy closed by emphasizing the long history of flooding in the neighborhood and by offering his collected evidence to county engineers.
