Kenmore Homeowners Are Getting Stiffed – A $50,000 Flooding Problem
Player #1 – A City-Owned Culvert
This is not the actual Kemore culvert but is a good example of one!
Imagine you live near a city-owned culvert that has begun to flood every year when the rains come. The water overflows the banks of a stream fed by this culvert.
Player #2 – An Overflowing Stream
The stream overflows flooding your property and your crawl space, bringing with it debris and gunk and expensive clean-up costs. You and your neighbors take action and sand bag the stream to stop the flooding….Whew. That sure helped….
Player #3 – Sand bags
Because the water is coming from the city-owned culvert, you ask the city for help and the city says, “Hey, the water is on YOUR property, so we can’t help.” That’s nice. So the the City doesn’t want to be a “player.” But someone else wants to crash the game…..In comes:
Player #4 – The State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Click on this picture to visit the department's website
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife informs you that in protecting your property by sandbagging the stream, THE STATE’S STREAM, you’ve broken the rules. Yes, my friends, you didn’t get the proper permits, so YOU’RE GOING TO BE FINED FOR PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY!!!!You ask, why on earth would you want to fine me for putting sandbags next to a flooding stream to protect my property? Well, the WSDFW says there are salmon in the stream and you can’t mess with that stream!
Player #5 – Salmon……You Know, the Fish!
Not seen in this particular stream since the late 70's
NOW, HERE’S THE FUN PART!!!!
Even though the City of Kenmore is unwilling to help the residents of the condominium complex, they did bring in a consultant to help the Homeowners Association. The good news is that the owners may someday be able to protect their property. Great. Unfortunately, in order to sandbag the stream, the WSDFW requires a “study” that will cost the homeowners from $50,000 to $70,000. AND, this study may take months. So, the residents must find $50,000 for the study and they are going to be fined during the period it will take to do the study! Don’t you just love these stories?
This is Kind-of Personal
It just so happens that one of my best friends lives in this condominium complex and I can remember when this problem really started. Three years ago the stream in question overflowed. Then it flooded again last year. My question is why it has taken so long for this situation to be addressed in a meaningful way by all the “players?” It’s obvious that the cost will be shifted to the homeowners because that’s what government agencies and cities do when the stuff hit’s the fan. Well, I’d like to suggest that there are other “players” in this game that will be revealed in the future. Let me just say that it isn’t coincidental that this particular stream has been flooding after years of construction in the neighborhoods up the hill from this condominium complex. Could it be that something else is going on here? Well, as this game heads into half-time, I’ll be sure to check back in to let you know how things are going.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
[...] recently wrote a blog post, Kenmore Homeowners Are Getting Stiffed in which I describe the players involved in this ridiculous situation. As I mentioned, I have a [...]
October 17th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
[...] Kenmore Undressed, September 2009: Kenmore Homeowners Are Getting Stiffed – A $50,000 Flooding Problem [...]