Long-Term Community Recovery Plan
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LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY PLAN LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY PLAN GALVESTON, TEXAS April 9, 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In addition to gathering input at community meetings, the committee established a Communications Committee that very quickly developed a website, On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island, Texas. www.recoverygalveston.org, to dispense information to and gather input from More than 75 percent of the structures in the community had damage impacts as a Galvestonians…both those who were living on the island and those displaced by result of the storm. Ten weeks later, the Galveston City Council initiated the the storm. recovery planning process with the first appointments to the Galveston Community Recovery Committee (GCRC). At the same time, the City entered into the Federal Listening to a diversity of voices, the Committee broke into five focus areas, 13 Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Long Term Community Recovery work groups, and 42 project teams. Members developed visions, goals, and Program, which provides coordination of resources and planning services to eventually projects to move Galveston along the road to recovery. The goals and support an area’s recovery planning efforts. Guided by commitment to an inclusive projects articulated in the Recovery Plan contribute to a Galveston that: process, over a six-week period, City Council made additional committee • Behaves in an environmentally responsible manner appointments until the GCRC numbered 330 members. The Committee was charged with developing a vision, goals and projects that would move Galveston • Protects its natural resources along the road to full recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Ike. • Better defends its people, its infrastructure, its buildings, and it natural Committee members quickly agreed on three guiding principles: a) build upon and resources against the perils of location on a barrier island retain the things that have made Galveston a good place to live, work, raise a • Rebuilds its economy based on its strengths and diversifies its economic family, visit, retire, and own a business; b) develop a Long-Term Community engines Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) that leads Galveston to a better place than it was on • Reconstructs its existing neighborhoods, making the housing stock stronger, September 12th; and c) the Recovery Plan must address every aspect of life in safer, more affordable, and more attractive Galveston. Recovery is not only about building back infrastructure, or housing, but • must include the breadth of what makes Galveston a livable community. Strengthens and makes more effective its public education system • Ensures healthcare access and delivery for all its citizens With administrative and technical support from the City of Galveston and the FEMA • Long Term Community Recovery Team, the Committee began its work by listening Rebuilds and updates its infrastructure and transportation systems to fellow Galvestonians. Hundreds of individuals turned out for ten community • Cleans up and beautifies its neighborhoods, business districts, streets and meetings to share ideas on how to rebuild Galveston and the kind of community public areas they wanted their city to become. Clearly they envisioned a community that was In its planning, Galveston can never lose sight of the fact that we have chosen to greener and stronger economically, socially, culturally, and educationally. They make our home on a barrier island, two miles off the coast of Texas. Unlike a saw a Galveston that was more resilient and more sustainable. They wanted a city traditional planning document, this Recovery Plan is an action-oriented menu of that celebrated its diversity, valued its people as its greatest resource, and afforded projects and is intended to be used as a road map for funding and resource opportunity for success to all of its citizens. They were looking for a Galveston that allocation decisions as Galveston recovers from Hurricane Ike. was clean, safe, and beautiful. Galveston Long-Term Community Recovery Plan i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GALVESTON COMMUNITY RECOVERY COMMITTEE Betty Massey, Chairperson Sara Janne Aarsland Edward Clack Marie Garrett Dwayne Jones Ken McManus Marsha Rappaport Daryl Stewart Elizabeth Aguilar Ed Clarac Joseph Garza James Josey Ralph McMorris Sue Reed Georgia Strain Abdul Amin Natalie Clarke David George Leon Kaplan Ray Meador Myrna Reingold Linda Strevell Bets Anderson Lucy Clay John Giovannini Kelly Kelley Greg Mefford Claire Reiswerg Kelley Sullivan Garland Anderson Trey Click Elizabeth Godbehere Shrub Kempner Bill Merrell Patricia Rennick Susanne Sullivan Judy Aronson Greg Clipp Tino Gonzalez Peaches Kempner Joan Mertens Lyssa Reynolds James Sweeney John Augelli Serena Cochrane John Gorman William Kiene Russell Mertens Jay Reynolds Jacquelyn Tarpy Charles Bagley A.W. Colbert Steve Greenberg Jeri Kinnear June Middlebrooks Scott Rice D.J. Termini Vernon Baines Terry Conrad Gary Greene Karla Klay Robert Mihovil David Rigoulot Shirlyn Thomas Cornelia Banks Jim Cordell Lynette Haaga John Koloen David Miller Lee Roane Kerry Tillmon Robert Barilli Barbara Crews Robert Hackett Kurt Koopman Mardi Mitchell Sara Beth Roberts Dolph TIllotson Joan Barilli Adrienne Culpepper Ericka Hailey Al LeBlanc Jerry Mohn Cindy Roberts Patrica Toliver Roland Bassett Michael Culpepper Bettye Hall Brenda Lee Anne Moon Gordon Robinson Michael Tramonte Kristopher Benson Carolyn Curlee Bill Hand Donna Leibbert Trent Morgan Gale Rogers Carol Trevino Marty Bilek Bernie Curran Ellie Hanley Ray Leitschuh Janet Morris Sheryl Rozier Kathy VanDewalli David Bowers Don Davison Tiffany Hanson Jayson Levy David Murphy Joe Rozier Gary Vasquez Fredrick Bradford Mike Dean Julia Hatcher Raymond Lewis Laura Murrell Norma Rubin Jayne Vidas Theresa Brady Elizabeth DeKeyser Wes Hayes Sharon Lewis Andy Mytelka Joe Russo Mort Voller Claudette Braly James Dennis Elizabeth Heckathorn Sheila Lidstone Ed Nadalin Chula Sanchez Courtney Walker Bill Broussard Maunak Desai Susan Henry Bowen Loftin Alice O'Donell Kay Sandor Laurence Wall Pat Broussard Ken Diestler Steve Hermecke Martha Livanec Mary O'Keefe Jon Schultz Eddie Walsh Bob Brown Jennifer Dodds Marty Hersey Scott Livanec Alice O'Quin Suzette Schultz Len Waterworth Craig Brown Margaret Doran Gary Hoffman Kevin Loving Wayne O'Quin Steve Schulz Erika Watson Julie Ann Brown Cynthia Durrance Janet Hoffman Heidi Lutz Carlos Orellana Tom Schwenk Elbert Whorton Clint Wayne Brown Nicole Ekstrom Norm Hoffman Lyden W. Lynch, Jr. Ted O'Rourke James Selig Evangeline Whorton Thomas Brown Elodie Eli Carol Hollaway Jeri Lyons Magen Ortiz Antonio Sendejas Pat Williams Curtiss Brown Buzz Elton Christine Hopkins John Machol Justin Owens Myles Shelton Dolores Williams Jeff Bruce Claudia Esquivel Caryl Hubert Janie Marshall Damien Patrick Michael Shriner Nate Wilson Ron Bryan Ted Eubanks Kathrine Hughes Craig Marston Maureen Patton Jeff Sjostrom Meg Winchester Bill Buffum Kathryn Fiandt Mike Hughes Brian Masel Juan Pena Johnny Smecca Tom Wright Linda Burton John Frannea Nicki Huprich Brent Masel Adam Peterson Charles Smith Nancy Wristers Robyn Bushong Michael Friedline Bill Hynek Greg May Lorna Presswood Roger Soloway Alice Wygant David Callender Evelyn Gabel Michael Jackson Nancy McCall Judith Price Leslie Sommer Boyd Carr Mike Gaertner Ken Jencks Maureen McCutchen George Prill Gina Spagnola Dave Casale Jim Galbraith Rosalind Johnson Shane McDermott Dianna Puccetti David Stanowski Mike Churchman Melissa Garcia Sue Johnson Lillian McGrew Barney Rapp Rachael Stegall Galveston Long-Term Community Recovery Plan ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MAYOR CITY MANAGER GALVESTON CITY COUNCIL DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Lyda Ann Thomas Steven J. LeBlanc Tarris L. Woods Wendy O'Donohoe, Director CITY ATTORNEY Deputy City Manager Linda Colbert Lori Feild Schwarz, Planning Division Head/Historic Preservation Officer Susie Green Brandon Wade Elizabeth Beeton Catherine Gorman Tinnemeyer, Senior Planner/Assistant Historic Preservation Assistant City Manager Officer Lloyd Rinderer Susan Fennewald Brax Easterwood, RA, Urban Planner Assistant City Manager Danny L. Weber Carolyn Cox Elizabeth (Libby) Stone, Urban Planner Karen Mahoney Pete Milburn, Urban Planner Athena Petty, Planning Staff Assistant CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS Angelo Grasso, Director of Public Works Eric Wilson, Director of Municipal Utilities Sterling Patrick, Director of Grants and Housing Charlie Kelly, Emergency Operations Coordinator Alicia Cahill, Public Information Officer David A. Smith, Director of Fleet Facilities Hud Hopkins, Airport Director Barbara Sanderson, Director of Parks and Recreation Barbara Lawrence, City Secretary Jeff Miller, Director of Finance Kathy Price, Municipal Court Clerk Michael Worthy, Director of Island Transit Michael Varela, Fire Chief Charles Wiley, Police Chief FEMA ESF14 Long Term Community Recovery team Galveston Long-Term Community Recovery Plan iii CONTENTS Clean Green and Smart Galveston Initiative............................................... 42 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................ I Trees........................................................................................................... 44 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1 West Galveston Island Land Conservation ................................................. 46 HISTORICAL CONTEXT.......................................................................................