As many as 100 homes could be receiving flood-related buyouts after a landmark City of Grand Forks council decision made public Tuesday night. The estimated dollar figure of the set of decisions put forward by council on Tuesday is in the range of $60-million.
Council adopted resolutions specific to flood impact neighbourhoods as follows:
North Ruckle will be subject to a complete buyout, and land returned to the natural floodplain; a dike from the Interfor berm along 68th Avenue to First Street and along the trail below Rockwool; elevate 68th Avenue and Second Street
South Ruckle will have bank protection measures from 63rd to 66th Avenues and a setback dike from 9th Street and 66 Avenue to the bridge; buy outs of homes at risk of erosion and deep-water flooding.
Johnson Flats will have homes raised, limited bank protection measures and a buyout of homes with an extremely high risk of flooding (high risk determined as more than 5 per cent annual risk).
East of Granby River south of Highway 3 will have riverbank protection with elevated tourist and commercial properties; relocate the mobile home park and amend land use bylaws.
Highway 3 East will have a buyout or land swap and redevelopment costs for seven properties.
These decisions apply only to homes within city limits and not to homes in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. The RDKB board is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.
Aside from buyouts, the proposal includes the construction of three new dikes and armouring “kilometres” of riverbank.
The recommendations are based on a river study, known as a hydrological survey, prepared by Dobson Engineering. Council considered the options in a series of in camera meetings, as well as a workshop. The final decision was made in camera Tuesday afternoon, and made public during the regular meeting of council Tuesday night.
Mayor Frank Konrad said the council voting record is being held in camera; only the resolutions as adopted by council have been released.
Konrad said the decision to hold the voting record in camera is a result of “safety concerns,” but said no threats had been made.
“Council made a tough decision looking to the future” said Mayor Frank Konrad. “Residents needed us to look out for their best interest. We chose the safest options rather than the cheapest because we never want to repeat the flooding we had this year,” Konrad said in a press release issued by the Boundary Flood Recovery team shortly after the council decision.
Any and all buyouts and flood protection measures are contingent on provincial approval and funding. Council made these decisions in order to put forward an “ask,” to the province with a dollar figure attached, several councillors said.
That figure is estimated at around $60-million, but that is not set in stone: that figure is plus/minus 50 per cent, as it is still an estimate that will be confirmed with further and more details river studies.
The number put forward on Monday is a “Class D estimate,” meaning it takes into account every contingency. With further study, that number is expected to be refined to within 15 per cent of total project costs.
The city would bear little of those costs; the majority of funds would come from provincial and federal grants and partnerships.
The flood recovery team has said that right now the exact number of homes affected y a buyout has not be determined. At least 62 homes (every home in North Ruckle) will be included, and estimates are between 80 to 100 total homes. That number is contingent on further river study and site-specific consultation on homes.
The specifics of the buyout program, including homes in specific neighbourhoods other than North Ruckle subject to buyout, will be finalized in the next year. The overall project implementation will take the next four years, according to the flood recovery team.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
