Nearly 8,000 homes in San Mateo will no longer require flood insurance as of October 2012 after the city recieved federal certification for a project that restructures the FEMA flood insurance rate map.
The city of San Mateo announced Thursday the green light has been given for the South Bayfront Levee Improvement Project, which will prevent 7,900 San Mateo households from having to purchase mandatory flood insurance.
The South Baytront Levee improvements include four project sites: the Detroit Drive Floodwall, the Seal Slough Floodwall, the San Mateo Creek Floodwall, and the East End Levee, according to city officials.
Final improvement work includes surface finishes and railings on concrete
floodwalls, erosion control on slopes, and hydro-seeding.
Restoration of the areas impacted by construction was completed in March. In addition, a new 10-foot wide bike path was opened to the public last November.
"The primary objective of this project was to protect as many residents as possible from a 100-year flood," Larry Patterson, Director of Public Works, said in a statement released by the city.
"The successful compietion of the project will also eliminate mandatory flood insurance requirements for those properties removed from the map," he said. "We are so grateful for the property owners’ commitment to partner with the City to get the work done."
This project was made possible by a community partnership between the city of San Mateo and a group of volunteers who solicited community support for the South Bayfront Levee and Flood Control Facilities Assessment District.
Passed in 2009 by a community vote, the Assessment District helped to raise the $7.5 million to successfully complete the work.
It was originally estimated 6,000 properties would be removed from the Special Flood Hazard Area and about 2,100 properties would remain in the SFHA due to their susceptibility to channel/creek overflow, but the levee project surpassed pre-project direct benefit analysis
The new 2012 San Mateo FIRM established by FEMA will preclude more than 7,900 properties from the SFHA, which less than 300 properties south of Highway 92 will be in the SFHA.
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