A public engagement session to address flooding concerns is in the works following a Ledger article published on Wednesday about south Charlotte residents who are worried that proposed developments will worsen flooding in their neighborhoods.
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said she read the article and requested a public engagement session to educate the public on how stormwater systems work. Rodriguez-McDowell represents the county’s District 6, which includes most of south Charlotte. The city and county both play roles in stormwater and flooding: For instance, the county helps restore streams, while the city is largely responsible for land use.
“Whenever I hear people say, ‘Why can’t they just …,’ I want to fill that in with education,” Rodriguez-McDowell told The Ledger when reached by phone Thursday morning.
Rodriguez-McDowell’s request was sent to other commissioners and Ebenezer Solomon Gujjarlapudi, director of the Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services Agency, as well as Charlotte City Councilman Ed Driggs, who also represents much of south Charlotte.
“I do think it's going to get worse if we aren't careful about development, and that's why we need to really partner with the city,” Rodriguez-McDowell said.
The date and location for the meeting have not been set yet, but Rodriguez-McDowell said her vision includes a back-and-forth conversation between the county’s stormwater team and residents who attend. Experts would explain how stormwater systems work, and then answer questions and hear comments from residents.
Rodriguez-McDowell hopes to help educate the public on the techniques and tools used to mitigate flooding ahead of new developments.
“I really do believe in densifying — we need more density because of our housing shortage,” Rodriguez-McDowell said. “But we have to do it in the right ways, and we have to do it with the right kind of regulations around buildings, especially near creeks, and we have to really take the environment into consideration in a smart way.” — Lindsey Banks
5 comments:
While this is certainly a start it is also the same way Charlotte - Mecklenburg has addressed problems in the past. The oh wow we have flooding let's form a committee. Oh look we created a big problem that we knew would happen now we need a public meeting to tell the public "they don't understand" how things work. How about don't create the problem in the first place?
If she believes in densifying she's not a friend of mine or yours she only a friend of developers.
It's a start. Anyone who has lived here more than 10 years knows it wasn't like this before. Stop the madness!
I've seen now dozens of videos showing flooding crazy amounts of water. Just imagine what will happen in April. Or if a September hurricane drifts inland like Hugo did years ago.
There is no reason to pile people on top of each other. Charlotte is not bound by any ocean, bay, river or mountain. Spread out you morons. Save some quality of life for your kids.
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