Belvedere recently became another Marin City that has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey to extend the May 4, 2009 for affected Belvedere property owners to purchase the requisite flood insurance. As most of the community and no doubt, all of Marin, are aware, FEMA recently revised local flood maps based on flood experience. A number of new properties in Belvedere are now included in the Special Flood Hazard Area. These property owners are required to obtain flood insurance by May 4, 2009 if they wish to take advantage of the reduced rates pending final map approval.
Property owners in several Marin communities face the task of obtaining flood insurance due to the FEMA map revisions. FEMA began sending out draft maps to local agencies in 2005/2006. Local agencies were asked to review the maps for errors. While some errors were obvious, such as the inclusion of properties up on Belvedere Island in the flood zone, others were indiscernible due to the level of detail on the FEMA maps. Instead of using accurate, scaleable maps, FEMA used printed maps of such a scale that individual properties could not be identified as clearly in or out of the flood zones. The City requested that FEMA revise the maps for the obvious errors and send revised maps for the City to evaluate and send the digital files so that the City could make more accurate determinations.
Advising a property owner that their property “may or may not” be in a flood zone as determined by a “draft” FEMA maps does no more than confuse the property owner as neither the City nor FEMA (the responsible agency) could answer any definitive questions concerning the property’s disposition. Beyond this, advising a property owner that their property “may or may not” be within in a flood zone may be “disclosable” information that might jeopardize the potential sale or refinancing of a property. Until the City had definitive information from FEMA, a local community meeting on the issue would not have been helpful and could have been potentially more confusing.
In 2007/2008, FEMA finally began responding, albeit reluctantly and slowly, with more detailed information and digital information that the City could use for property determinations and notification. It was then determined that FEMA may have inaccurately measured the height of the Beach Road Seawall on the maps due to several baseline measurement inconsistencies. This inaccuracy may have thrust far more properties into the flood zone than necessary. The City hired a consultant to conduct an independent verification of FEMA’s measurements After multiple meetings and conversations with FEMA, consistent baseline determinations were identified and the City’s independent survey confirmed the new data.
In September/October 2008 with the best information from FEMA in hand, the City (and Town) began the task of preparing notifications to property owners. Because the City is not an expert in flood determinations and FEMA remained the responsible agency, it was suggested that a community meeting be held with Belvedere and Tiburon residents WITH a FEMA representative present who could answer questions from the property owners. Locally, the important issue (and ultimate question from many of the property owners) was whether FEMA taken the Reed Diversion Project and existing height of the San Rafael Avenue Seawall into account. Further, what the height of any new increases to the San Rafael Seawall would need to be to counter the flood determinations.
The City notified property owners and a joint meeting was scheduled for February 2, 2009. The joint meeting was postponed through the holidays into early February to accommodate the regular unavailability of residents during the holidays and to accommodate several FEMA representatives who had agreed to be present at the meeting. The joint meeting was publicized via the local newspaper (the Ark), the City’s website, emails, letters, the local Town Meeting, and public postings. The Mayors of both the City of Belvedere and Town of Tiburon attended. It was very well attended – standing room only – from a resident perspective. At the meeting the expected questions arose and FEMA addressed each of them.
The issues of concern?
- Had FEMA taken the Reed Diversion Project and the current height of the San Rafael Avenue Seawall into account? Yes.
- Was there an accurate determination of what height the new San Rafael Seawall would have to be to protect residents? No. FEMA would be releasing a subsequent set of map revisions with more accurate survey data and detail that would assist with that determination. Further, that “new revised data” may affect property owners within the special flood zone.
- Would raising the height of the San Rafael Seawall remove the requirement for flood insurance? No. Because under FEMA’s new map, flooding occurred on the Beach Road side as well, properties would remain in the flood zone regardless of the height of the San Rafael Seawall.
FEMA answered these and many other questions of local residents at the meeting. The meeting was digitally recorded and audio of the meeting is available on the City’s Podcast site. The City continues to work with FEMA to “fine tune” their maps as it is extremely difficult to determine, event at this point, whether a property is or is not within the Special Flood Hazard Zone. That’s why, now, Belvedere recently became another Marin City that has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to extend the May 4, 2009 for affected Belvedere property owners to purchase the requisite flood insurance. For more information, visit FEMA’s site on the National Flood Insurance Program – FloodSmart.gov or call (888) 435-6637.
