04/23/02 Someone must really want those levees. . .

The proposed third alternative for Cadillac Heights takes the first two, a buyout of property in a floodplain, or a levee to remove the property from the floodplain and combines them into a far worse solution - the buyout of property that is to be removed from the floodplain. Why would the City build a costly levee around Cadillac Heights while buying out the landowners ?

Why not buy the land now, while the land is still in the flood plain?  

Once acquired, why build the levee at all ?

It will only worsen flooding elsewhere. The Federal government can only participate in a buy out as an alternative to a levee. The cost of the buyout will be entirely the City's.

The City has to identify a public purpose in order to justify acquiring property. Suddenly Cadillac Heights has become the preferred site for a police academy.  The Police already own a site for the Academy.

Do the math on this - the proposed new Academy site will cost the price of the levee, $9 million, plus the estimated cost of the buy out  (not including hold-outs), $16 million, plus the cost of remediating the  lead on the site. 

$25 million minimum, just for a site. For $16 million, the City can build the academy at its original site.  With both the City and Federal government in deficits, call this boondoggle what it is - Cadillac Levee.

Why not take the humane, low cost path and offer the residents a voluntary buyout with Federal assistance - without any levees or academies  attached ?