The Chronicle
October 18, 2018 A3
City offers help for repeatedly flooded properties
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The City Council approved the acquisition of a home
that has been repeatedly flooded, one of several proper
ties in flood plains the city has acquired using federal
grants.
With the remnants of two hurricanes hitting Winston-
Salem in a matter of weeks, heavy rains have caused
flooding in various parts of the city. But for some proper
ties, flooding can be a regular occurrence. There’s more
than 18,000 acres of mapped flood plains in the county,
which accounts for seven percent of its total land area.
Current regulations say that new buildings in these areas
must be elevated one foot above the base flood level and
protected from potential flood damage.
Buildings that were built before those requirements
do not have such protection. That’s where the FEMA
Severe Repetitive Flood Claims grants come in. They let
local municipalities purchase the properties and make
sure they’re not built upon again.
Keith Huff, the city’s director of Stormwater/Erosion
Control, said residents will contact them about their prop
erties and the city applies for the grant. He said the most
viable applications involve the “worst of the worst”
flood-ravaged properties.
“The most probable candidates are the severe repeti
tive-loss properties, meaning they have a number of
claims on their flood insurance policies and the cost-ben
efit of their project is very compelling to FEMA,” said
Huff.
The property the council voted to purchase on
This map shows the home on Marguerite Park
Drive, near Silas Creek, that the City Council voted
to acquire because it has experienced repeated
severe flooding.
Monday contains a house at the end of Marguerite Park
Drive with Silas Creek to its east and one of the creek’s
tributaries to its south. Huff said the house has had struc
tural flooding in the crawl space, damaging the house’s
ductwork and HVAC and sometimes reaching the fin
ished floor of its inhabited spaces.
The grant covers the acquisition of the property for its
fair market value of $170,000 minus any duplication of
benefits that it received from prior FEMA claims. The
grant also covers 100 percent of the demolition and plac-
Huff
ing deeded restrictions to prevent further development on
the parcel.
The city previously purchased the neighboring prop
erty next door with a grant from the same FEMA pro
gram. Robert Clark, who represents the West Ward where
the properties are located, directed staff to look into com
bining the two properties and turning them into a passive
pocket park, which would be an allowed use under the
restrictions put on the land.
For more information, contact the
Stormwater/Erosion Control Department at (336) 747-
7480.
City of Winston-Salem photo
The city is considering purchasing the land shown
here below the highway off ramp bordered by
Liberty, Cemetery and Main streets.
W-S considering
buying lot from
Salem College
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The City of Winston-Salem is considering buying a
downtown lot near Business 40 from Salem College for
$450,850.
The .45 acre vacant lot is just south of Business 40
and is bordered by Liberty, Cemetery and Main streets
and an off ramp from the highway that leads to Main and
Liberty streets. That Main Street Exit ramp there will be
removed when Business 40 renovations are completed,
which is expected to happen in late 2020. The right-of-
way land where the ramp is located is expected to be
conveyed to the city, which could expand that property if
the city did purchase it. The money to buy it would
come from 2014 general obligation bonds for economic
development sites and infrastructure.
The land for sale was purchased by Salem College
for $625,000 in 2012. It’s located across Main Street
from the college’s McHugh Sisters Flats, which opened
in 2015. This summer, it was reported that Salem
College owes about $26 million and was put on proba
tion by an accreditation agency, which said the college is
still in good standing but needs to eliminate the debt to
be taken off probation. The college is working to raise
money to pay the debt without raising tuition.
During the City Council Finance Committee meeting
on Monday, Oct. 8, the offer to buy the land at the
appraised value of $450,850 got mixed reactions. The
college put the lot on the open market and informed City
Council John Larson of the opportunity. Larson said the
land is strategically located between the heart of down-
town and places like Old Salem. It’s also near The
Strollway that connects those two areas.
City Council Member Jeff Macintosh and Finance
Chairman Robert Clark also saw potential in the land
once it’s combined with the adjoining right of way.
“We don’t do this every day, but it’s not every day we
get offered this type of arrangement,” said Clark.
City Council Member Derwin Montgomery, who is
also co-owner of The Chronicle, said he didn’t object to
the principle of buying the land, but asked if the city
would be buying property in the inner city as well. He
said land purchases should be part of a strategy and
wanted a short list of properties the city might be inter
ested in.
Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke questioned the
sale and wanted a list of properties the city already owns.
City Council Member D.D. Adams said she couldn’t
support the purchase when there were properties in the
inner city that could be bought for businesses or afford
able housing.
Clark decided to table the item until next month to
give staff time to answer the council members’ question.