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2015/05 -Town Creek special issue City news, features, and updates May 29, 2015 Th i s W e e k i n H u n t s v i l l e Project history - page 7 In this i s s u e . . . Photos - page 5 Project expense - page 3 This spring’s endless rains in some ways could not have come at a better time. The damage and difficul- ty they have caused for local residents has been appalling, but the storms and resulting flooding along the Town Creek corridor have clearly highlighted the need for a drainage solution. As the City’s efforts to gain funding through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Department of Emergency Manage- ment’s (TDEM) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) enter a sixth year, the issues have become more apparent and pressing. The proposed project involves replacing 7,700 linear feet of the existing Town Creek drainage sys- tem. Portions were enclosed in the 1960s using a combination of decommissioned rail cars and mason- ry and includes seven roadway crossings composed of these tank cars and concrete culverts. What’s needed now is the removal and replacement of the existing drainage structures and drainage lines that feed into the open channel areas. Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks will be repaired while water and sanitary utilities will be relocated as needed. The upgraded drainage structures will add in- creased capacity to the system and provide relief to outdated infrastructure. A combination of detention basins and pools within the creek will be utilized between Avenue I and Bearkat Boulevard to provide enough retention to handle the flow up to that could occur during a 100 - year flood event. This special issue of This Week in Huntsville will examine the history, impact, and future of Town Creek and its drainage requirements. TOWN CREEK DRAINAGE PROJECT Proposed Grant to Improve Community Photos from October 2009 (left) and May 2015 (above) showing the need for increased drain- age options. Town Creek Drainage Impacts Town Creek is part of a network of streams that serve as the storm water drainage system for the city of Hunts- ville. This creek spans the entire length of our community, flowing from the southeast side at Sycamore Street though the historic Cultural District area toward the north and finally emptying into the Trinity River. Over 163 acres of land adjoins this creek and many more utilize it for drainage. During the 1960s, decommissioned railroad tanker cars were used as a low-cost method to provide an under- ground drainage structure. The cars were lowered into the creek bed, welded together, and then sealed with melted rubber tires. The City of Huntsville commissioned a study in 1975 to address the occurrence of flooding in and around down- town Huntsville. The project called for Town Creek to be modified from its dilapidated condition, including recon- struction and removal of the railroad tanker cars. These tanker cars are now collapsing to the point that they are more oval than round and have rusted to the point where water is eroding the dirt behind the tanker cars, leav- ing gaps that could become sinkholes. It is difficult to estimate the damage due to the improper design of this drainage structure. Widespread flooding occurs on a 10-year flood cycle, but even small amounts of rainfall (2-3 inches) routinely results in street flooding on Bearkat Boulevard and 7th Street. Bearkat Boulevard runs the northern perimeter of Sam Houston State University. It is one of the main arterial streets for student access to the University from State Highway 19. Additionally, access to the Rita B. Huff Hu- mane Society shelter and other private businesses becomes impossible during heavy rain. Seventh Street is the main street that parents and students traverse to and from Samuel W. Houston Elementary School. Heavy rain makes this impassable and leads to traffic congestion. This becomes a safety concern for dropping off and picking up children. The damage to the road is a constant concern that costs taxpayers to repair due to flooding damage. Water flowing across road surfaces is both damaging and poses a safety hazard to driv- ers. Original installation of decommissioned rail cars as a drain- age solution in the 1960s. The Walker County Annex build- ing (formerly Hunts- ville National Bank), its parking lots, and an adjacent red brick building with two other business- es sit atop this prop- erty now. The flooding that occurs during heavy rain events has a significant impact throughout the community, affecting multiple agencies such as: - Texas Department of Criminal Justice Walls Unit – High Security Prison Unit with an inmate capacity of 1705, with 424 employees on staff - Sam Houston State University – student population of nearly 20,000, covering 316 acres with $250 million in new and renovated facilities - Rita B. Huff Humane Society – official animal shelter for the city and county - Walker County Annex and Huntsville City Hall - these structures house multiple mission critical needs, such as vehicle registration, utility billing, finance and payroll for both agencies, computer mainframes, and are the main buildings for the entities. Each day that passes poses threats to infrastructure. Sinkholes and creek channel collapses are recurring fail- ures. Three major parking lots are on top of the tanker cars. This means that when one of the cars finally gives way, one or more vehicles is likely to be severely dam- aged. During each of the recent hurricanes, the City of Hunts- ville provided safe harbor to around 15,000 inmates and 5,000 evacuees from the Gulf Coast region. The popu- lation of the City of Hunts- ville grows significantly dur- ing area hurricanes. The City is in a unique situa- tion in that Huntsville is the largest city located north of the initial hurricane damage zone (around 100 miles in- land), but still close enough to sustain catastrophic winds and rain. Huntsville’s position between Houston and Dallas makes it the prime area to shelter evacu- ees, but sheltering opera- tions could be severely com- promised should a heavy rain overwhelm the already fragile drainage system. The area faces serious potential damage of many municipal, County, and state facilities that are crucial to the functioning of the community. The proposed Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HGMP) project is located primarily in downtown Huntsville, in the middle of Walker County. The area consists of typical downtown development with a high percentage of impervi- ous cover contributing to the storm water flows into the Town Creek channel. Actions Taken By the City to Date April 2009 Submitted grant application to Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) Oct 2009 Revised Application per TDEM December 2009 Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) sent Request for Information (1) December 2009 Hired Klotz and Associates Engineering firm for Drainage Study February 2010 Submitted responses to FEMA for Request for Information (1) Dec. 13, 2010 Award of Phase 1 - $393,000.00 in Federal grant funds June 2011 Entered into a contract with Klotz and Associates for Phase 1 July 2012 FEMA sends Request for Information (2) (Notified from FEMA that project meets eligibility) August 2012 Response to Request for Information (2) sent to FEMA August 2012 Updated Benefit Cost Analysis sent to FEMA August 2012 FEMA reviews Environmental Assessment and requires United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Permit prior to awarding Phase 2 August 2012 Requested for concurrent award to move forward with design (this request was denied) October 2012 Amended Klotz Contract to include Environmental Assessment January 2013 Submitted application to the USACE for Permit March 2013 USACE acknowledged receipt of permit application June 2013 Submitted Letter of request to move forward with design (no response to this letter) March 2014 Requested assistance from Congressman Brady’s office to move USACE Permit forward April 2014 USACE released the 30-day request for comments on the project July 2014 Requested additional assistance from Congressman Brady’s office August 2014 Conference Call with FEMA, TDEM, USACE and City representative about time required to fi- nalize USACE permit December 2014 USACE requests Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) clearance December 2014 USACE issues Permit January 2015 FEMA requests updated Benefit-Cost-Analysis based on the updated budget, Scope, and Budget January 2015 Submitted updated Benefit-Cost-Analysis, Scope, and Budget to TDEM/FEMA January 2015 FEMA requests additional Texas Historical Commission (THC) review January 2015 Requested permission to move forward with design – no answer February 2015 Submitted to THC for clearance February 2015 FEMA requested revisions to the Benefit-Cost-Analysis March 2015 Resubmitted the revised Benefit-Cost-Analysis to FEMA March 2015 Received permissions from Texas Historical Commission (THC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife to move forward with the project March 2015 Received letter of continual support from Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) March 2015 Updated Environmental Assessment sent to FEMA for final review. March 20, 2015 FEMA asked for additional information about traffic counts for the BCA and the resubmission of documentation from 2012. March 23, 2015 Information provided to FEMA in regards to the BCA. March 26, 2015 FEMA determined the BCA proved the project was cost effective. March 29, 2015 Environmental Assessment approved by FEMA and published for 15-day comment period. April 13, 2015 Environmental Assessment approved by FEMA 15-day comment period ended. May 5, 2015 City Council approval to amend the Phase I engineering contract to include Phase II Detail of deterioration inside the drainage structures. Members of the public speak on the drainage project at the May 5, 2015 City Council meeting. Collapse of the railroad cars is leading to decreased flow and reduced stability.