Some property owners could get a break under a set of proposals to relax Pierce County’s tough flood-zone regulations, which are known for exceeding state and federal standards.
Farmers are most likely to benefit. Those whose fields lie in floodways, such as the Riverside area along the Puyallup River, would be allowed to rebuild damaged farmhouses and put up barns and other outbuildings.
Homeowners also might get a chance to rebuild their damaged homes, even if they are located in a floodway where they’re at risk of repeated flooding.
The proposals grew out of a resolution adopted by the County Council last summer, directing engineers to rewrite their ultra-strict flood-zone rules.
Easing the regulations for farmers is defensible, said Harold Smelt, who directs the county’s water programs. But his staff recommends against allowing all homeowners inside floodways to rebuild.
County flood managers argue that getting people and property out of harm’s way is better than letting them suffer repeated flooding, then asking taxpayers to pick up the tab for emergency response and repairs.
The County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed amendments.
The County Council will make the final decision on which, if any, to adopt.
Councilman Calvin Goings, whose district includes Riverside, said he understands the staff’s views and wants to hear from planners, too.
But he said, “We make the decisions, not the bureaucrats.”
Sheri Coughlin, a Riverside farmer and resident, said she likes the package of farmland amendments.
“I think it’s really a good step forward for the County Council,” Coughlin said. “It’s more fair than it was before.”
Riverside residents and farmers demanded changes to the strict flood-zone rules last summer, angry about the impact on their lifestyle and property values.
‘A BALANCING ACT’
Revised flood hazard maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have recently expanded the Pierce County floodway to include almost all of Riverside. One major factor was the decertification of levees along the lower Puyallup River in 2005.
Then came the November 2006 flood in East Pierce County. It served as a warning to Riverside residents, but it didn’t top the levees and inundate their community.
So some residents asked, Why impose tough regulations where there hasn’t been any major flooding?
“The big issue here is one of risk management,” Smelt explained. “There is always a balancing act between a community’s effort to manage risk and an individual property owner’s desire to do what he wants with his property.”
Since 1987, the county has focused its flood protection efforts on prohibiting new construction or rebuilding inside floodways. The county spends about $1.5 million a year to buy out property near rivers.
Smelt said the proposed changes for farmlands would not have a large impact on overall county flood protection efforts because the amount of affected farmland is small.
Those changes, he said, are also in line with two county policies: farmland preservation and the determination that agriculture is the best use for flood-prone areas.
PROPOSALS AGREE WITH STATE RULES
Dick Kartner, a Riverside berry farmer, said it’s common sense that farmers need farmhouses to live in and barns and other small buildings to store equipment and livestock.
“Ideally, if we rolled the clock back 50 years, enlightened planners would not have allowed housing on a flood plain,” he said. “There is risk.”
But Kartner, who also leads the Pierce County Farm Board, pointed out that the proposed changes are consistent with state regulations, which do allow farmhouse replacement in flood hazard areas.
Pierce County doesn’t currently allow repair or replacement of buildings inside mapped floodways. Even a farmhouse that is damaged by fire can’t be repaired or rebuilt under county rules.
Goings called the proposed modifications a step in the right direction. He said that none of the rule changes for farmlands would allow increases in housing density.
Another change would reduce the height that new buildings must be raised above the base flood level from 2 feet to 1 foot. The state requires only a 1-foot elevation.
Smelt defended the 2-foot standard, saying it helps reduce the cost of flood insurance for county residents. Taken together, the tougher flood zone regulations have resulted in a 25-percent reduction in flood insurance premiums countywide, he said.
Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692
Hearing on Flood Hazard Area Amendments
Who: Pierce County Planning Commission
What: Continuation of public hearing on modifications to development regulations in flood hazard areas
When: Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Pierce County Annex, Public Meeting Room, 2401 S. 35th St., Tacoma
