Gurnee removing structures from flood plain
Since the 1990s, the Village of Gurnee has been buying properties located in the flood plain one at a time, and tearing them down. Officials want to continue this process until all the structures in the flood plain have been razed.
The latest person to be affected is Melinda Moore, who owns a barbershop that flooded last summer. She lives on the premises, and the village bought both her shop and home in September. She has reopened her business in a new location, and now lives off-site.
The properties being demolished are all downtown, and all lie in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) callas a 10%, or 10-year, flood zone. This means there is a 10% chance the area will flood in any particular year.
Scott Drabicki, the village engineer, said Gurnee wants to tear down all the structures still in the flood plain, There are approximately 20 left in the 10-year area, and more in the 100 (1%) area, including the village's Fire House No. 1. Drabicki said the firehouse will eventually be relocated.
Once the buildings are razed, they are not replaced. Instead, the area is left untouched, to become open, green space and parks, which Drabicki believes is an excellent use of the land.
Matters like this are important to entire communities, and can be explained if officials work with a newsletter printing company to create a letter keeping residents undated.
The latest person to be affected is Melinda Moore, who owns a barbershop that flooded last summer. She lives on the premises, and the village bought both her shop and home in September. She has reopened her business in a new location, and now lives off-site.
The properties being demolished are all downtown, and all lie in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) callas a 10%, or 10-year, flood zone. This means there is a 10% chance the area will flood in any particular year.
Scott Drabicki, the village engineer, said Gurnee wants to tear down all the structures still in the flood plain, There are approximately 20 left in the 10-year area, and more in the 100 (1%) area, including the village's Fire House No. 1. Drabicki said the firehouse will eventually be relocated.
Once the buildings are razed, they are not replaced. Instead, the area is left untouched, to become open, green space and parks, which Drabicki believes is an excellent use of the land.
Matters like this are important to entire communities, and can be explained if officials work with a newsletter printing company to create a letter keeping residents undated.