This story was updated at 1:28 a.m. to differentiate between the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority study and a separate city study of the Blanco River.  Residents of the Blanco Gardens and CM Allen neighborhoods in San Marcos will not be required to elevate their homes or demolish them, although the alternatives could require their removal from the National Flood Insurance Program. “We need to make sure we are in compliance [with the NFIP] so we can continue receiving flood insurance and assistance that comes along with that,” City Manager Jared Miller said. “One thing I want to make sure [people are aware of]: We are not going to condemn people’s property, and we are not going to demolish anyone’s property.” Five residents spoke during public comments regarding letters sent to properties throughout the city that implied residents may be required to elevate their homes. Clarissa Balderas, a San Marcos resident who lives in one of the areas of the city that was hit the hardest by the floods, said getting her home elevated could cost up to $100,000. That amount would be prohibitive for someone paying a mortgage, she said. "I don’t know what I’m going to do," Balderas said. "I just need someone to tell me what to do without getting in so much more debt than I’m in already." Richard Reynosa, project engineer for the city of San Marcos, said there were 135 homes that sustained “substantial damage,” meaning the damage is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the value of the structure. Those structures must be elevated to at least one foot above the base flood elevation, be demolished or be removed from the NFIP registry, which would prohibit them from obtaining flood insurance. “We want to tread very carefully on [removing residents from the program],” Engineering and Capital Improvements Director Laurie Moyer said. “We want to do everything we can to help those folks elevate their homes and stay in the program. Our goal should not be to take properties out and then put them back in. That is truly the last-case scenario. That is one that we don’t want to try to go to as an interim step.” The city is awaiting the results of a Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority study of the floodplain that may affect the height that residents must elevate their homes, so homeowners should contact the city before beginning work on elevating their homes. Emergency Management Coordinator Ken Bell said residents who have received a letter should appeal. Some estimates found that homes sustained damage that was 51 or 52 percent of the value of the structure, and an appeal could bring that number below 50 percent, eliminating the requirement to elevate. Homes that sustained substantial damage and already had flood insurance may be eligible for $30,000 of assistance to elevate their homes, according to Reynosa's presentation. The city is also pursuing grant opportunities and working with FEMA to find assistance to help residents elevate their homes. The city is also awaiting the results of a study that aims to determine the cubic feet per second on the Blanco River during the flooding Memorial Day weekend. Moyer said the initial findings of the study, which are still incomplete, indicate construction at the Woods Apartments near Blanco Gardens on River Road did not contribute to the neighborhood’s flooding. For more information contact Richard Reynosa at 512-393-8235.