By Kelli Weldon
Some Williamson Creek–area residents west of I-35 may be affected by City Council's Sept. 9 approval of spending $78 million on home buyouts in flood-prone areas such as near Onion Creek, according to city documents.
Residents recently formed the Williamson Creek Neighborhood Preservation group for residents of areas affected by flooding, Fairview Estates resident Kelly Davis-Burns said. A flood struck the area on the night of Oct. 12, 2013.
"It was a tremendous storm, but it wasn't until early on that Sunday morning that I got a look at what was happening," Davis-Burns said.
About eight homes on Heartwood Drive between Stassney Lane and St. Elmo Road had flood damage, she said. Residents moved back into their homes after a few months, but some residents are now facing potential buyouts.
In May, Austin councilman Mike Martinez sponsored a resolution regarding options to address flood concerns. City staff identified buyouts as the "most economically feasible option" for at least 72 homes in the Radam Circle, Heartwood Drive and Meadow Circle Drive area in the 25-year Williamson Creek floodplain. It would cost about $18 million to purchase those homes, according to the resolution passed in May.
That could affect several Williamson Creek–area homes, including some the floods did not hit, Davis-Burns said.
City staff estimated the $78 million would require a tax rate increase of $0.006 per $100 of taxable city property value beginning in fiscal year 2016. Residents would see an $11.79 increase per year for a median-valued home in property taxes starting in fiscal year 2015–16.
Locals want options, Davis-Burns said.
"We don't want to leave our neighborhood," she said.
City offers more information
The city's Watershed Protection Department will host Williamson Creek floodplain-area residents at a meeting and discuss:
- Flood risk reduction options
- Voluntary buyouts
- Flood safety and permitting
Manchaca Branch Library, 5500 Manchaca Road
6:30–8:30 p.m. Oct. 29
