DECEMBER 2013 EAST SIDE REVITALIZATION Reducing the Impacts of Flooding and Floodway Regulations Freeport, IL INTRODUCTION HOW DO FLOODING AND FLOODWAY REGULATIONS EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) IMPACT THE EAST SIDE? and EPA Region 5 sponsored a reuse planning process for the CMC Heartland Site and other The East Side is an African-American neighborhood located in the floodway of the Pecatonica River. Residents of the East Side share a strong sense of community and contaminated properties in the East Side deep affection for the neighborhood. Many families have lived in the neighborhood neighborhood of Freeport, Illinois. The project for generations. Long-time residents remember a time when the neighborhood connects site reuse with area-wide neighborhood supported quality housing and thriving businesses with neighborhood-oriented revitalization for this environmental justice amenities. community. This report summarizes outcomes The neighborhood’s economic vitality and housing quality have been impacted from a 12-month community planning process, negatively over time by the neighborhood’s location in the floodway. Residents including considerations for reducing the impacts contend with recurring major and minor flood events, and are subject to Federal of flooding and floodway regulations on the East Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State of Illinois floodway regulations, Side Neighborhood. which limit improvements on structures located in a floodway. These regulations, which were not in place when the neighborhood was built, make it challenging to COMMUNITY GOALS improve and expand both housing and neighborhood businesses. Over time, housing Neighborhood stakeholders identified two quality has severely declined and most commercial businesses have vacated the neighborhood. primary goals for this planning effort to set the stage for neighborhood revitalization: Today, the community suffers from a lack of access to basic amenities, goods and services, and transportation options. Improving infrastructure, identifying strategies • Reduce flood impacts. to reduce the disproportionate impacts of floodway regulations, and providing • Reduce impacts of floodway regulations. assistance for home repairs that may otherwise be cost-prohibitive could significantly improve the quality of life for East Side residents. These changes could also lay a Additional neighborhood revitalization goals are foundation for addressing additional neighborhood revitalization goals. documented on the back page of this report. Figure 1: Neighborhood Flood Experience Legend This map documents the location Perceived flooding direction and perceived source of flooding, as N Henderson Rd shared by neighborhood residents at Flood Impact Location by Perceived Source a series of public meetings held during Currier Creek Pecatonica River and Currier Creek the summer of 2013. The map is not a Currier Creek technical analysis but instead captures and storm drains Sidewalk project absent or not working the experience of local residents. Currier Creek Pecatonica River Storm drains absent or not working Pecatonica River and storm drains Water entering front absent or not working doors of homes PARK TAYLOR A E Park St B C N LouisAve N RoseAve D E Crocker St E F G Illinois Route 75 East S AlbertSAve E Orin St NAdelbert Ave Miles St S CharlesAve N WilburAve H S TildenAve I N HendersonAve J K L E Clark St M N SheridanAve N Adams Ave Ave Commercial N N State Ave S HookerAve N Liberty Ave E Douglas St R S MaryAve Q S LouisAve P S RoseAve N O S S ShermanAve E Exchange St E Jackson St N Chicago Ave U E Jackson St V T S JohannaAve E Stephenson St S Adams Ave Flood impact locations on the map are Pecatonica River S HowardAve E Main St approximate and were identified by E Album St X S MaryAve W neighborhood residents and stakeholdersS Liberty Ave S State Ave S Chicago Ave during a June 29th workshop held at the S Benton Ave Monroe Center. Pecatonica River GIS data is from the StephensonE Spring St County S HancockAve W Main St Database, copyright Stephenson County,E Jackson IL. St E Washington St 1 East Side Neighborhood and Surrounding Area Miles Neighborhood Flood Experience 0 0.1 0.2 0.4 ¯ REDUCE FLOOD IMPACTS PRIORITIES STRATEGIES Green Infrastructure Considerations The East Side neighborhood has an Both green and grey infrastructure strategies East Side residents endorsed the green opportunity to reduce flood impacts by: can be used to increase a community’s infrastructure strategies in the Addendum • Improving grey infrastructure, and capacity to absorb, collect and drain storm and offered the following considerations: water. • Adding green infrastructure features to • Layer multiple strategies for publicly owned lands and brownfield Grey infrastructure strategies may: maximum effectiveness. sites. (see Figure 2). • Repair broken or blocked components, • Involve East Side residents in the Participants prioritized the following goals for • Upgrade undersized and dated design and construction, including reducing flood impacts: infrastructure, and apprentice or job opportunities. • Address areas where floodwater enters • Add new drainage networks. • Design should not promote mosquito habitat. the ground floor of homes and impacts Green infrastructure strategies may: private utilities. • Design should be safe for children. • Help overcome limitations of existing • Address areas where floodwaters grey infrastructure to reduce flooding • Include observation areas and completely block street access. impacts, educational signage describing the features and the wildlife they attract. • Ensure safe access for children, parents • Temporarily and safely store storm water and staff at Taylor Park Elementary until it can drain, • If there is an adequate maintenance School. budget, consider plantings that • Be used on vacant properties, Superfund beautify the neighborhood. • Address standing water created on E. sites, brownfield sites, and publicly owned Stephenson Street by the new sidewalks. lands or right-of-ways. • Work with the state to address • Design green infrastructure features to debris blocking the flow of the For more information on potential green Pecatonica River. beautify the East Side neighborhood and infrastructure strategies, see the Addendum. the Stephenson Street entrance corridor. Legend Privately Owned Brownfield Publicly Owned Brownfield Publicly Owned Land N Henderson Rd Overland flow from Currier Creek Sidewalk beautification project with no storm drains E McClurg St Storm drain overflow followed by overland flow from the Pecatonica River Potential Flooding Inlets Currier Creek E Park St N HendersonAve TAYLOR PARK TAYLOR N RoseAve N LouisAve E Crocker St N SheridanAve Illinois Route 75 East S AlbertS Ave E Orin St AdelbertN Ave Miles St S CharlesAve N WilburAve S TildenAve E Clark St S RoseAve N SheridanAve N Adams Ave Ave Commercial N E Schley St S LouisAve N State Ave S MaryAve E Douglas St N Liberty Ave S HowardAve S ShermanAve S HancockAve S JohannaAve E Exchange St S HookerAve S SheridanAve N Chicago Ave E Jackson St E Stephenson St S Adams Ave Pecatonica River E Main St E Album St S MaryAve S Liberty Ave S State Ave S Chicago Ave S Benton Ave Parcel and Pecatonica River data from the Stephenson County Database, copyright E Spring St W Main St Stephenson County, IL. E Jackson St E Washington St Figure 2: Opportunities to Address Flood Impacts through Green Infrastructure EastThis map documents Side (1) Neighborhood the location of publicly owned lands and and brownfields Surrounding that could support green Area infrastructure features, and (2) the three priority areas for reducing flood impacts as identified by East Side residents who participated in the reuse planning process (shown in red, yellow and blue). Miles Opportunities to Address Flooding Impacts 0 0.1 0.2 0.4 2 REDUCE FLOODWAY REGULATION IMPACTS FLOODWAY REGULATION AND “Floodway regulations have a ENFORCEMENT The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible disproportionate impact on housing for the designation of floodway areas. Typically, a floodway is values and housing quality in low- considered the area where water flows during a storm event. In Illinois, additional state regulations widen the designated floodway income neighborhoods. further. Developed areas located in a floodway are subject to federal The majority of East Side residents regulations regarding new construction and improvements to existing structures. These regulations are intended to ensure the have difficulty maintaining and safety of structures and the people living or working in them. The City of Freeport is responsible for the enforcement of improving homes because of floodway regulations related to the permitting of new construction and improvements. If these regulations are not enforced, all city floodway regulations. residents and businesses could lose their eligibility for FEMA flood insurance and the City could lose its eligibility for federal disaster East Side residents would assistance. like FEMA to address the A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT disproportionate impact of the 50% FEMA regulations currently limit improvements on structures located in a floodway to half of the structure’s value. If desired rule and would like assistance with improvements are over 50% of the value, floodway upgrades must be made including elevating the structure by one foot which can maintaining and improving their be cost-prohibitive. This regulation severely restricts the ability of homeowners in the