Jeremy Almond, Minot
The Minot City Council will vote Dec. 18 on a flood abatement plan to receive $100 million to $150 million in grant money. The money however comes at a cost that is too great for Minot. We must adopt new flood maps labeling the area that flooded in a 100 year flood plain. The money must be used to purchase untouched flooded homes, roughly 400 homes, those lots will be turned into green space and can never be built on again. Also the people who plan to rebuild must raise their main floor above the proposed flood plain.
The diversion is to be built to handle the water that flooded our city last year. The new maps are based on how high the water got, not what will happen with the new diversion. There is no reason to adopt flood maps that don't take this into consideration. By adopting these maps flood insurance premiums will double if not triple.
The proposed diversion through town is supposed to save us from a flood. With the housing shortage, it doesn't make any sense to buy buildable land, protected by current and future flood prevention measures, and turn it into green space. This space must be maintained, i.e. mowed and trimmed by the city forever. No numbers were provided on how much this will cost to maintain all 400 lots for the next 5, 10 or 100 years.
My house was renovated by my family after the flood; it was underwater to the gutters. If my neighbor rebuilds, his first floor will have to be 12 feet off the ground, which means his house will look down into my house. This would make rebuilding in the valley an eyesore as well as expensive. I am not sure I would be able to sell my home since his would be built to a different code.
Please talk to your city council representative and tell them to vote against this new measure. It will devalue our valley and add more cost to the people who have worked so hard to rebuild after the flood. I can be reached at 701-793-0447