The issue that is most prominent in the valley is "Zombie" homes. However, there is another issue plaguing the valley and those are the homes within the flood plan footprint.
The city would have you believe that most homeowners who
have homes within the flood plan have taken, or are taking the voluntary
buyout and only a handful are refusing the buyout. But a drive through
the flood plan footprint would show you otherwise.
In the street pictured, most of the homes stood abandoned
or empty as these homeowners waited over three years for the city to
offer them a buyout. Many were living in Fema trailers as they waited
for the city to buy their homes. But as the deadline to remove Fema
trailers drew near, and no buyout from the city was insight, these
homeowners had no other choice but to rebuild or be forced from their
trailers, the only homes they had left. Now after sinking so much money
into these homes, many of the homeowners are instead opting to wait until the
city uses its powers of eminent domain. The area pictured above alone, has over 25 homes that are within the flood plan footprint that have been rebuilt. But there are many other areas in town that stand just like this.
The initial flood plan carried a very hefty price tag near
$820 million dollars, not taking into account the possible eminent
domain cases that would most certainly come up. The city is well aware
that the cost of using eminent domain can be very costly to the city. At
one of the open forums regarding the flood control project, it was
admitted that if too many homeowners pursued eminent domain, it would
become too pricey of a venture and could halt the entire flood control
project in its tracks. It was already stated that if the project is kept
at a 60/40 split between what Minot has to pay for the project and what
the state has to pay for the project, the city can't afford it's share.
Once again, this is only taking into account that the project would
cost $820 million dollars. It does not account for cases where eminent
domain is involved. It only factors in the cost of voluntary buyouts. It
also doesn't account for inflation of construction of the project over
the years.
The question to be asked here is, just how much will the
total cost of the project reach if so many homeowners opt for eminent
domain, and will the city be able to afford the price tag? This of
course could have all been prevented had the city acted more swiftly in
the acquisition of properties instead of drawing the process out for
years, leaving homeowners with no other option but to rebuild and fight the
city.
Stay
tuned for another article from Minot's Darkside. Casting a light on
issues that the city would rather sweep under the rug...