LanaLang Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I recently inherited my parent's home in Oak Forest Section 15. I was intending to remodel and sell because I had some bad experiences with leasers and contractors. When it came time to get permits I found that the home is now in the FLOODWAY!!!! I am only allowed to increase the value of the home by a prescribed amount. The property value went up, the home value went down. I am going to lease the home until I find out what can be done to avoid having to sell for land value only. I know that over 10,000 homes have suffered the same fate and am wondering if there is an action group trying to do something about this. My home has never flooded! We are close to the bayou on Watonga. What would it take to get the city or whoever is in charge of these things to widen or deep the bayou so that the home is out of the floodway? Any suggestions? Also advice about finding good leasors. Frustrated in Houston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 That really sux. Please let us know what happens. I am interested to know how you come out in all of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I found that the home is now in the FLOODWAY!!!!Is the home in the actual flood way or the 100 year floodplain? if its in the flood way the Harris County Flood Control District might buy you out someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 What would it take to get the city or whoever is in charge of these things to widen or deep the bayou so that the home is out of the floodway?Any suggestions? Also advice about finding good leasors. Frustrated in Houston My guess is that widening or deepening White Oak Bayou would take the approval of the US Army Corps of Engineers. It would also take way more $$$ and way more eminent domain condemnation than any politician is willing to provide. My condolences on your situation. It's a raw deal. I don't know what you can do. I think your best bet is a buyout...but as you've said before, you don't qualify right now. My advice is to keep all valuables out of that house, due to its flooding potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringTX Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Does the Cypress Creek Flood Coalition count as an action group? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 My guess is that widening or deepening White Oak Bayou would take the approval of the US Army Corps of Engineers. It would also take way more $$$ and way more eminent domain condemnation than any politician is willing to provide.My advice is to keep all valuables out of that house, due to its flooding potential.There have been some big projects along White Oak but unfortunately they are so far out they provide no flood relief for the loop area. When the corp ultimately does attack the White Oak issue, eminent domain will be more widespread. The sims bayou widening devastated certain areas but the relief gained has been worth it. I think Braes will be the next one where major widening will occur while the work on sims is in its 2nd decade already. when the next flood comes have some concrete blocks handy to stack your furniture on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 The Harris County Flood Control District bought my grandma's house last December, it was built in the mid 1960's worth 51,000 the Flood Control District gave us 98,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smathieu Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 I recently inherited my parent's home in Oak Forest Section 15. I was intending to remodel and sell because I had some bad experiences with leasers and contractors. When it came time to get permits I found that the home is now in the FLOODWAY!!!! I am only allowed to increase the value of the home by a prescribed amount. The property value went up, the home value went down. I am going to lease the home until I find out what can be done to avoid having to sell for land value only. I know that over 10,000 homes have suffered the same fate and am wondering if there is an action group trying to do something about this. My home has never flooded! We are close to the bayou on Watonga. What would it take to get the city or whoever is in charge of these things to widen or deep the bayou so that the home is out of the floodway? Any suggestions? Also advice about finding good leasors. Frustrated in Houston I bought a lot I intended to build on. Someone told me I can not build on it because it is in the flood plain. Seems to me the land is useless without the ability to build on! Tell me if you find something out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 I bought a lot I intended to build on. Someone told me I can not build on it because it is in the flood plain. Seems to me the land is useless without the ability to build on! Tell me if you find something out!There's a big difference between the "Floodway" designation and the "100-year floodplain" designation.Floodway is a killer...can't put any inhabitable structure in the floodway.On the other hand, it is possible to build in the 100-year floodplain, but there are restrictions. You can't place fill in the floodplain without mitigating your fill (providing compensating "cut" in the floodplain to balance the fill). You can also build on pier and beam, elevating your finish floor above the 100-year floodplain elevation. You can locate your property and its relationship to the floodplain on the TSARP website (www.tsarp.org) You can add the natural ground contour elevations to the interactive map, compare that to the 100-year floodplain elevation (or "BFE", Base Flood Elevation), and get an idea of how deep in the floodplain you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smathieu Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 According to that map I am 100% in the floodway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gto250us Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 According to that map I am 100% in the floodway!the way that I look at it is that if your house is prone to flooding, then no one should live there. Yes it sucks, but so do most things. The fact is that floodplains change and Houston sits in the middle of a basin which has been subsiding for several million years and will continue to do so. Urban development only compounds the problem. The only thing that can be done about it is to prohibit folks from living in flood prone areas. Short of that, let them know that society is NOT going to subsidize their risk of staying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonhater Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Why would anyone wanna buy a land on floodway? It does not make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Why would anyone wanna buy a land on floodway? It does not make sense.I'm not sure that anybody does want to buy in the floodway...but sometimes the floodway boundaries change as more is learned about the drainage characteristics of areas, the landscape changes, and more development takes place, leading to less permeable surface area.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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