Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flooding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rio Vista staff flags active flood wall option but notes it is unfunded
Summary
Planning staff reviewed 100‑ vs. 200‑year floodplain maps, FEMA building standards and a preferred active flood‑wall alternative that would retract at low water and rise during floods; staff said the active barrier would be costly and currently unfunded and recommended requiring new development to meet the 100‑year elevation standard.
Planning staff reviewed flood risk maps and construction standards for the waterfront area. They explained that Zone AE (100‑year) is the FEMA standard used for building requirements and that the 200‑year floodplain (used in prior studies) shows deeper inundation in some locations.
Staff described the preferred flood-control alternative from the Rio Vista Flood Control Feasibility Study: "to construct a 5 foot active barrier wall that would be constructed on top of a 3 foot promenade... when floodwaters come in, the flood wall will automatically just raise with the water, up to 5 feet in height. But when the water is at normal levels, the flood wall is retracted into the ground." Staff warned that the active-wall alternative is unfunded; the group discussed developer-driven elevation requirements (raising building pads to meet a 10‑foot base elevation) as an alternative to city-funded infrastructure.
Council and commissioners indicated a preference for applying the 100‑year flood standard in the specific plan to avoid overly restrictive requirements that could discourage development while preserving building-safety measures via elevation or floodproofing.
