Friends of the Poudre Summer 2000 Newsletter

Floodplain revision was started following Spring Creek flood; original proposal was weakened

By Randy Fischer

In the aftermath of the devastating floods of July 1997, the Fort Collins city government wisely determined to evaluate the adequacy of its existing floodplain management regulations.

A citizen's floodplain task force representing a broad cross-section of the community was convened in December of 1998 for the purpose of evaluating the existing regulations and making recommendations for possible changes. The task force first tackled the existing Poudre River floodplain regulations.

By August of 1999, the City's storm drainage, natural resources, and advanced planning staffs developed a set of recommendations for improving the existing Poudre regulations.

These original staff recommendations were based on staff's expert technical judgement and input received from the task force members. Because most of the Poudre River floodplain is still undeveloped, staff seized on this historic opportunity to make meaningful positive changes in the regulations.

The original staff recommendations significantly strengthened the existing Poudre floodplain regulations by, among other things, prohibiting any new development in the floodplain and prohibiting the use of fill material to remove land from the floodplain. The recommendations were overwhelmingly endorsed by the City's Water Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, Poudre Canyon Group of the Sierra Club, Friends of the Poudre, and members of the general public.

However, the schedule for City Council action on staff's August 1999 recommendations was delayed by the City Manager. The delay gave various special interests the opportunity to seriously weaken the original recommendations.

By the time Council had the opportunity to give its input during four study sessions in December 1999 and February, March, and April 2000, the staff's recommendations had been significantly altered, as follows:

• Development would be allowed to encroach on the floodplain until a 0.1-foot rise in the base flood elevation occurred. (The current regulations allow a 0.5-foot rise);
• Placement of fill material would be allowed in the floodplain;
• Commercial development would be allowed in the floodplain;
• Remodeling, additions, and redevelopment would be allowed in the floodplain.

It appears now that Council will finally have the opportunity to act on the current staff recommendations in early June of 2000, nearly a year after the original technical recommendations were made public.

During Council's debate, it is important for the public to realize that the current recommendation, known as Option B-l, would only result in strengthening the existing regulations on an estimated 100 acres of private land out of nearly 3,000 total acres in the floodplain!

Sadly, after a year and a half of effort by the technical staff and task force, the original intent of reevaluating the adequacy of the existing regulations for the Poudre River has been mostly lost. The deaths and destruction caused by the July 1997 floods are apparently forgotten. Option B-1 will result in only minor improvement in the existing regulations.

Unless the city council takes the responsibility for establishing city policy, as it should, an historic opportunity to protect public health, safety, and welfare will be lost. Council must consider the technical staff's original recommendations and take the necessary and appropriate actions to make meaningful improvements in the Poudre River floodplain regulations.

Randy Fisher is a member of the citizen's floodplain task force that began work in December 1998.