Left Hand Creek Flood Control Project in Southmoor Park, PW&NR
Left Hand Creek Flood Control Project Update
February 25, 2011
As you may already know, the City of Longmont’s Public Works & Natural Resources Department has been planning significant improvements to the Left Hand Creek channel between U.S. 287 (Main Street) and Pike Road. The primary improvements to the channel will include:
- The installation of an additional box culvert under Main Street.
- A new bridge structure with a pedestrian underpass at South Pratt Parkway.
- Improvements to the channel and side slopes from Main Street to South Pratt Parkway and within the channel on the north side of Pike Road.
- Replacement of pedestrian bridges at Hartley Court and Kanemoto Park.
- Minor elevation changes Pike Road between the channel and Ridgeview Drive.
Highlights of Project Progress To Date Include:
- Project design plans and specifications 100% complete.
- Receipt of an approved 404 Permit from the Department of Army Corps of Engineers.
- Receipt of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirming that, upon completion of this project, a revision of the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) would be warranted.
- A tentative award of $3 million in grant funding from the Colorado Division of Emergency Management for a Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hazard Mitigation Assistance/Flood Mitigation Assistance. Due to grant requirements, the project is now expected to begin in the fall or winter of 2011. The grant requires a full environmental and historical review for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Historical Preservation Act.
As required by FEMA, on Monday, March 14, 2011, a public notice will be published in the Daily Times Call requesting public comments for a 15-day period.
Once this project is completed, a lowering of the current 100-year floodplain will remove 185 homes from the floodplain.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Curtis Ansel, Project Manager, Public Works & Natural Resources Department, at (303) 651-8310 or by e-mail at curtis.ansel@ci.longmont.co.us.
Responses to Recent Public Comments and Questions:
- Once construction begins, the project will take approximately 10 to 12 months to complete.
- The pedestrian bridges at Hartley Court and Kanemoto Park will be replaced with new bridges.
- At the completion of the project, FEMA will inspect the construction. Upon FEMA’s acceptance of the new improvements, The Flood Insurance Rate Maps will undergo revision. The new maps will display the revised lower 100-year floodplain limits. If you are already required to pay for floodplain insurance, you will need to continue to do so until FEMA authorizes this new Rate Map.
- The concrete pedestrian path will remain, with some modification, once these channel improvements have been made.
- During construction there will be some impact to some of the streets adjacent to the channel. Missouri Avenue will be temporarily restricted along the north side for construction activities. Pike Road would be provided with a temporary by-pass while improvements are being made. The only foreseen temporary closure will occur at South Pratt Parkway during the replacement of the bridge crossing. Other than the temporary closure of South Pratt Parkway, there would be only minimal impact to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic during this construction.
- Any of the existing art pieces along the channel that are directly within those areas planned for improvement will be temporarily removed by the artist and reinstalled when construction is complete.
- The new bridge crossing on South Pratt Parkway will include a pedestrian underpass under the roadway.
- Improvements planned for the channel bed will only lower the flow line of the channel and not deepen the stream.
- There are only two areas of the Left Hand Creek channel that will be impacted by this project. One area being the channel from the north side of Pike Road for a distance of approximately 700 feet, and the other being from South Pratt Parkway to Main Street. The remainder of this channel will remain untouched.
Updated
December 22, 2011
Public Works & Natural Resources
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