Bellaire residents and the surrounding community are being asked to weigh in on the future of the city’s long-term flooding and drainage improvement plans.

For the upcoming regional drainage improvement program open house taking place July 18, city leaders are asking the community to participate and hear from the city’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Task Force.

Get involved

The upcoming open house is an opportunity for community members to learn about the program, ask questions and offer input regarding significant concerns and priorities, according to the news release.

• July 18, 6-8 p.m.
• Bellaire Civic Center, 7008 S. Rice Ave., Bellaire

How we got here

In December, Bellaire City Council approved working with engineering firm Ardurra Group Inc. to manage the city’s drainage improvement program.

• City Manager Sharon Citino said at the 2022 council meeting that part of the contract to develop flood mitigation projects with Ardurra includes engaging with regional partners to advance projects and secure grant funding.
• The 12-month agreement with the firm was part of what the city officials called the Master Drainage Concept Plan.
• The MDCP was recently completed, and outlined the areas most vulnerable to flooding and the potential means to combat damage to residential areas.
• During the first phase of the project, according to agenda documents, both parties focused on nine tasks, including hosting two community open houses, maintaining a project-specific website for the public, preparing policy decisions for City Council on flood damage prevention ordinances and development codes, fine-tuning a hydraulic model, and developing drainage criteria needed for projects.

Zooming In

• Engineering and design of improvements to the interior storm sewer systems, main trunk systems, detention ponds and sheet flow barriers to increase capacity for local and regional storm sewer systems
• The city's share for designing improvements to North/South drainage systems and Cypress Ditch