The gist
On Nov. 27, Pearland City Council voted to require floor elevations of new structures in Pearland to be at a minimum of 1 foot above the 100-year and 500-year flood plain elevation, according to agenda documents.
The decision was made to preserve a partnership the city has with Harris County Precinct 2 to fund the expansion of Hughes Road.
On May 8, city officials approved a partnership with the precinct that would have the county covering $4.8 million of the transportation project, according to agenda documents.
One of the key requirements for the partnership project with Harris County is to meet Harris County’s standards related to the flood plain and drainage guidelines, according to agenda documents.
The backstory
Up to this point, Pearland’s existing building criteria, which requires floor elevations to be 1 foot above the 100-year flood plain, is more stringent than the county’s requirement that they be 1 foot above the 500-year flood plain, City Manager Trent Epperson said.
In 10% of the city, the 500-year flood plain is the higher point, in which case the city will enforce the higher elevation, he said.
One more thing
To satisfy the county’s requirements, the city will also adhere to guidelines that require the floor elevation of critical facilities, such as city buildings and fire stations, to increase from 18 inches to 24 inches above the highest flood plain, Epperson said.
