County will demolish homes for a flood mitigation project
Fairfax County plans to demolish nine houses on Barrett Road in the Falls Church area of Mason District as part of a project to reduce flooding along Tripps Run.
Dozens of homes in the Bel Air neighborhood have been subject to repeated flooding from Tripps Run, including major floods from storms on July 8, 2019, and July 7, 2020.
A 2020 study conducted for the county by Stantec Consulting Services presented four options for flood mitigation.
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) plans to proceed with Scenario 3, which calls for restorative stream enhancements for Tripps Run beginning near 6662 Barrett Road and continuing downstream to Sleepy Hollow Park.
The county would acquire the homes at 6640 through 6656 Barrett Road, which have been subjected to the worst flooding. Those properties would be excavated and replaced with an environmental corridor with a passive recreational area. That is expected to reduce the flooding risk for other nearby properties.
The planning cost for Scenario 3 is estimated at $12.8 million. Part of that cost will be covered by an $8.98 million flood preparedness grant from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The county will pay the market rate to the nine homeowners whose properties will be demolished, said Joni Calmbacher, director of stormwater planning at DPWES.
In addition to flood reduction, the project is expected to result in improved floodplain connectivity, stream stability, flow diversity, and possibly, water quality.
While the Stantec report recommended the removal of the Holloway Road bridge, Calmbacher said, “That is not necessarily going to happen.”
The project design is expected to be completed in spring 2025, she said. The timeline for construction hasn’t been determined.
DPWES is planning to schedule a community meeting on the project in late August.
The Tripps Run project is part of a countywide effort to reduce the risk of flooding, Calmbacher said.
A new Flood Mitigation Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 in matching funds to residents, property owners, HOAs, and places of worship for flood-proofing and mitigation efforts.
The county allocated $250,000 to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District to administer the program.
Projects eligible for reimbursement include floodproof windows, flood gates or panels, temporary flood barriers, battery backups for sump pumps, utility covers, flood alert systems, portable pumps and hoses, flood-resistant building materials, topography modifications, and protecting external stairwells.
Submit an application here.
4 responses to “County will demolish homes for a flood mitigation project”
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Market rate? What about interest rates you thieving bastards?
Yeah you own your house but it can be eminent domained right own of your hands at any given day.
It seems the county already bought the properties as of 2/29/2024 (public records)
The county should have a program that is specifically deisgned to purchase for-sale properties that are within a 100 year flood plain. Those houses should never have been built in the first place. The program should be structured in the following manner: Fairfax County get first right of refusal to purchase any house whose foundation is within a 100-year flood plain at the market appraised value as determined by the median value of three independent appraisals. If the county chooses not to execute the purchase rights, then the seller may sell the property on the open market. This would allow for the county to buy up flood plain houses and demolish them progressively over time in a manner fair to owners and without using eminent domain.