Homes Within The Flood Plan Footprint

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...