Board awaits fund source for homes

Web posted Tuesday, December 12, 2000

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By Heidi Coryell
Staff Writer

Four Dominion Way homeowners are hopeful their names soon will be placed on a list of Augusta residents slated to have their flood-damaged homes become part of a federal buy-out program.

Jerry Brigham: Commissioner says he is concerned about giving flood victims false hope. FILE/STAFF

But Augusta commissioners put their hopes on hold until a source for local money can be identified to match federal contributions.

Local Emergency Management Agency Director David Dlugolenski asked the engineering services committee Monday to consider adding four Commonwealth homes to an existing application for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The program aims to acquire homes in flood-prone areas through a partnership between local and federal governments.

``There is no doubt that where these four homes are located is a natural location to collect water,'' Mr. Dlugolenski said. ``If that's a natural area to retain water, then that may alleviate flooding downstream.''

It would cost about $353,000 to buy the four homes, and the county would have to pay about $88,250 of it.

Committee members, however, voted to delay adding the four west Augusta houses to eight currently on the city's acquisition list until after a funding source becomes firm. The request is slated to go before the committee again Dec. 27.

Two of the Commonwealth homes - located at 44 and 45 Dominion Way - were more than 50 percent damaged during the June floods, making them automatically eligible under federal guidelines to qualify for the buy-out program. The two other homes - at 46 and 47 Dominion Way - would likely qualify because they are contiguous to the substantially damaged homes, Mr. Dlugolenski said.

Several commissioners and Mayor Bob Young questioned why additional homes in the subdivision were not included in the EMA's request.

``If you're going to add two properties not substantially damaged, you should add all the properties not substantially damaged,'' Mr. Young said.

Click on graphic for larger image

With a limited amount of local funds to draw from, selecting which homes can apply for federal buy-out becomes a matter of prioritizing, Mr. Dlugolenski said.

More than a half-million dollars already have been earmarked from federal and local sources to buy eight homes repeatedly damaged by flood waters. The federal government will pay 75 percent of that grant, and commissioners last spring approved a 25 percent match of those funds.

But finding additional funding for not only Commonwealth but also other potential applicants in flood-prone neighborhoods could prove to be a challenge in 2001, expected to be a tight budget year.

``I think it's wrong to apply, to give these people hope and then not to have a funding source,'' said Commissioner Jerry Brigham, whose district includes the Commonwealth subdivision. ``It concerns me that we do not have the money for this.''

The city's 25 percent match for the four additional homes would likely come from a federal Greenspace program, said Terri Turner, assistant zoning and development administrator for the Planning and Zoning Commission. If that money is unavailable, the general contingency fund would have to be tapped.

Wanda Adams owns one of the two homes deemed substantially damaged by the June 20 flood and is renting an apartment while continuing to pay a mortgage on her Dominion Way home.

She attended Monday's committee meeting along with three of her neighbors.

Mrs. Adams said, ``We're trying to be united so they can see we're serious.''

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.

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