LOMA - An ammendment to the currently effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps which establishes that a structure or area at natural grade is not located in a Special flood Hazard Area. SFHA. A LOMA is issued only by FEMA.
CLOMA - A conditional LOMA
LOMR - An amendment to the currently effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps. It is issued only by FEMA and changes flood zones, delineations, and elevations.
Topography - The configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features.
Area Drainage Master Plan (ADMP) - A plan which provides flood control recommendations that reduce flood and erosion hazards. This plan is developed (by planners) through a process which includes: data collection, flood control alternatives formulation and evaluation, public involvement and information, alternative selection, and recommendations for implementation
Watercourse Master Plan - A hydraulic plan for a watercourse that examines the cumulative impacts of existing development and future encroachment in the flood plain and future development in the watershed on potential flood damages and/or erosion hazards, and establishes technical criteria for subsequent development so as to minimize potential flood damages for all flood events up to and including the 100-year flood.
APN - Assessors parcel number
Base flood elevation - The height of the base flood above ground level (in feel in relation to mean sea level). For the purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the base flood is the 100-year or 1% flood level.
Regulatory flood elevation - The minimum level at which a structure must be built (if not using wet flood-proofing) to comply with flood control regulations.
CFS - Cubic feet.per second. Used to quantify the amount of water that flows through a wash. 1 cfs = 7.5 gallons of water.
Cross-sections - Depicts the shape of a watercourse where water flows. Determined by developing the topographic elevations along a line perpendicular to the flow of water. Used to calculate the water surface elevations.
Thalway - the center line of a river or waterway. Used to interpolate water surface elevations using cross-sections.
Hydrology - Refers to how much water is flowing.
Hydraulics - Refers to where the water is going to go.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Racial Inequality in Phoenix
As is true in many places, the Phoenix region is highly variable in terms of race (map below, white = blue, Black = green, Hispanic = red). Hispanics, African Americans, and other "minorities" are largely concentrated in the densely developed urban center, while there are higher concentrations of whites living in the lower density areas on the outskirts. The downtown and central area of Phoenix is much lower income on average than the surrounding communities, especially Scottsdale where expensive cars and upscale shops can be seen. There have been efforts to "revitalize" the downtown by increasing the density of housing, installing a light-rail system, and by nurturing the arts scene. However, whether efforts to create a new urban space in the vicinity of downtown will positively impact the current, mostly low-income Hispanic community remains to be seen. Racial inequality has deep roots in Phoenix.
By the late 19th century, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were the largest ‘minority group’ in Phoenix , joined by smaller populations of African Americans, Chinese, and American Indians (U.S. Census of Population 1900, 1950, 2000). While all racial/ethnic minorities were the subjects of discriminatory discourses and practices, those directed at Latinos and Blacks had the most persistent effects on land use and place construction in the city. Residential segregation and unregulated land uses in minority districts began shaping social and environmental conditions in what would become South Phoenix by the 1890s, when Phoenix’s population numbered fewer than 5,000 people. Even at this early stage in the development of the city, the dividing line between Anglo Phoenix and the southern subaltern district was beginning to be established, demarcated by an east-west rail corridor first established in 1887 (Myrick 1980). This corridor soon began serving as both the physical and symbolic boundary between two developing urban worlds.
http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her122/bolingrineskicollins.pdf
By the late 19th century, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were the largest ‘minority group’ in Phoenix , joined by smaller populations of African Americans, Chinese, and American Indians (U.S. Census of Population 1900, 1950, 2000). While all racial/ethnic minorities were the subjects of discriminatory discourses and practices, those directed at Latinos and Blacks had the most persistent effects on land use and place construction in the city. Residential segregation and unregulated land uses in minority districts began shaping social and environmental conditions in what would become South Phoenix by the 1890s, when Phoenix’s population numbered fewer than 5,000 people. Even at this early stage in the development of the city, the dividing line between Anglo Phoenix and the southern subaltern district was beginning to be established, demarcated by an east-west rail corridor first established in 1887 (Myrick 1980). This corridor soon began serving as both the physical and symbolic boundary between two developing urban worlds.
http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her122/bolingrineskicollins.pdf
Friday, July 12, 2013
Meet the Planners
So I didn't actually find out much about my upcoming work yesterday but I did meet several planners at Maricopa County's Planning and Development office. First off, the fact that the county has a planning department seems pretty unusual to me since I've only heard about cities having them. Second- their office is huge. Over 100 employees. This seems insanely large compared to what I'm used to in Iowa City, which has about 4 or 5 planners. Obviously Phoenix is a bigger place though.
The person I met with first was the previous intern at Flood Control who had gotten snapped up by the planning department after she spent some time there. She showed me the new PlanNet system they use, which is sort of a pared down version of Arc Map. She also showed me what she does most often, which is research and process permit applications. She has a case load of around 40 or 50 permits, many of which were passed on from other planners. So, realistically, she has not had time to open them all yet.
Next, I talked to the head planner, who explained that, in contrast to the city planning department which has "home-rule", meaning they can make regulations and undertake projects limited only to those they are legally barred from, the county is limited to do only what they are legally allowed to do. The county doesn't do many pro-active redevelopment projects, they mainly process land use permits. However, they do have a Comprehensive Plan which I need to look through.
When I talked to some of the other planners, including a new guy from the Bay Area who got his degree here, some of the issues they mentioned the most were cell phone tower application from telecoms and applications for group homes. The telecom companies are finding it harder to find places for their antennas, though it is lucrative for the property owner. Rural areas apparently don't like them much and urban sites constrain their antenna size. As far as the group homes, the use allows mental health issues and elderly but they don't classify facilities that house developmentally disables persons the same way and that use requires a more expensive permit. Consequently, applicants try to fool the planners into giving them permits for group homes when they really plan to have developmentally disabled people. Kinda disturbing!
I wish there was a planning department of this size near me- good for jobs after graduation!
The person I met with first was the previous intern at Flood Control who had gotten snapped up by the planning department after she spent some time there. She showed me the new PlanNet system they use, which is sort of a pared down version of Arc Map. She also showed me what she does most often, which is research and process permit applications. She has a case load of around 40 or 50 permits, many of which were passed on from other planners. So, realistically, she has not had time to open them all yet.
Next, I talked to the head planner, who explained that, in contrast to the city planning department which has "home-rule", meaning they can make regulations and undertake projects limited only to those they are legally barred from, the county is limited to do only what they are legally allowed to do. The county doesn't do many pro-active redevelopment projects, they mainly process land use permits. However, they do have a Comprehensive Plan which I need to look through.
When I talked to some of the other planners, including a new guy from the Bay Area who got his degree here, some of the issues they mentioned the most were cell phone tower application from telecoms and applications for group homes. The telecom companies are finding it harder to find places for their antennas, though it is lucrative for the property owner. Rural areas apparently don't like them much and urban sites constrain their antenna size. As far as the group homes, the use allows mental health issues and elderly but they don't classify facilities that house developmentally disables persons the same way and that use requires a more expensive permit. Consequently, applicants try to fool the planners into giving them permits for group homes when they really plan to have developmentally disabled people. Kinda disturbing!
I wish there was a planning department of this size near me- good for jobs after graduation!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
More on floodplain management +my mission
Today I'm going to be touring the Maricopa County Planning department and meeting with the previous intern to figure out how I can finish up some GIS (mapping software that planners use) work she began. I think it's going to be some data entry and some GIS work. I will get to use my skillz!
The GIS files the County uses include land parcels, flood zones, and geographic markers like roads etc (example below). Not all of the flood data is currently implemented in the official FEMA maps- some is waiting to be accepted. Small changes to flood maps, such as if a property owner thinks their property should not be in the floodplain, can be submitted to FEMA in a LOMA ( Letter of Map Amendment) request. Changes updating floodplain delineations for large areas are submitted through inter-agency processes.
"An important part of an area analysis is to work with the property owners. Therefor, the area should be delineated, where possible, to include existing neighborhoods or neighborhood organizations, even if this means extending the boundaries of the area to be analyzed beyond the drainage basin boundaries."
From Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding- A guide for Communities, FEMA 2005
Yesterday, a coworker from Guatemala (who's really awesome) took me to get my badge and then showed me what goes into a floodplain land use application. In addition to contact forms for the property owner and any third-party permit-prep agency, maps showing the proposed project are required, along with maps showing the flood zone in which the property is located. While some projects are only required to elevate their house or building 1-foot above the floodplain, others have to get raised up to 2 feet depending on the expected elevation of the water, its velocity, and the topography of the site.
The GIS files the County uses include land parcels, flood zones, and geographic markers like roads etc (example below). Not all of the flood data is currently implemented in the official FEMA maps- some is waiting to be accepted. Small changes to flood maps, such as if a property owner thinks their property should not be in the floodplain, can be submitted to FEMA in a LOMA ( Letter of Map Amendment) request. Changes updating floodplain delineations for large areas are submitted through inter-agency processes.
"An important part of an area analysis is to work with the property owners. Therefor, the area should be delineated, where possible, to include existing neighborhoods or neighborhood organizations, even if this means extending the boundaries of the area to be analyzed beyond the drainage basin boundaries."
From Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding- A guide for Communities, FEMA 2005
Yesterday, a coworker from Guatemala (who's really awesome) took me to get my badge and then showed me what goes into a floodplain land use application. In addition to contact forms for the property owner and any third-party permit-prep agency, maps showing the proposed project are required, along with maps showing the flood zone in which the property is located. While some projects are only required to elevate their house or building 1-foot above the floodplain, others have to get raised up to 2 feet depending on the expected elevation of the water, its velocity, and the topography of the site.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Flood Control in Arizona
Maricopa County Flood Control Agency is responsible for flood plain management, mapping, development permitting, and enforcement for unincorporated (non-city) areas of Maricopa County as well as several communities that lack resources to do so themselves. County Flood Control also builds capital improvement projects, such as levees, culverts, and other flood-control structures in the unincorporated ares and sometimes in communities it manages, where expenses are then shared. Plans for flood control structures must be approved and inspected by the Army Corps of Engineers. All efforts are geared to prevent flood damage at the 100-year flood level, or the level at which an area is expected to have a 1% chance of being flooded up to 1 foot in 100 years.
While the county maps the floodplain, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has the final say over the published maps. Ultimately, the maps are used by FEMA to produce the FIRM (National Flood Insurance Rate Map), which determine whether homes are located in a SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area). Home owners located in an SFHA that have government-backed mortgages are required to purchase flood insurance and the FIRM is used to determine how much the insurance will cost. FIRM is a product of the National Flood Insurance Program, which is a federal program created to offer flood insurance since many private insurers do not cover flood damage.While those who have paid off their homes or have non-government-backed mortgages are technically not required to purchase flood insurance, it's still a good idea and private banks may still require the insurance.
County staff also spend time keeping current with the voluntary federal Community Ratings System program (CRS), which is a federal program that allows communities to earn discounts on flood insurance. By meeting and exceeding flood prevention and control standards for properties, as outlined , such as by elevating houses, implementing public education programs, mapping floodplains, and other activities, insurance rate discounts can be obtained for property owners. Discounts range from between 5% to 45% for those in flood zones, based on the degree of participation in the program. Maricopa County is expecting to get a #4 CRS rating, conferring a 30% on flood insurance for property owners.
While the county maps the floodplain, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has the final say over the published maps. Ultimately, the maps are used by FEMA to produce the FIRM (National Flood Insurance Rate Map), which determine whether homes are located in a SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area). Home owners located in an SFHA that have government-backed mortgages are required to purchase flood insurance and the FIRM is used to determine how much the insurance will cost. FIRM is a product of the National Flood Insurance Program, which is a federal program created to offer flood insurance since many private insurers do not cover flood damage.While those who have paid off their homes or have non-government-backed mortgages are technically not required to purchase flood insurance, it's still a good idea and private banks may still require the insurance.
County staff also spend time keeping current with the voluntary federal Community Ratings System program (CRS), which is a federal program that allows communities to earn discounts on flood insurance. By meeting and exceeding flood prevention and control standards for properties, as outlined , such as by elevating houses, implementing public education programs, mapping floodplains, and other activities, insurance rate discounts can be obtained for property owners. Discounts range from between 5% to 45% for those in flood zones, based on the degree of participation in the program. Maricopa County is expecting to get a #4 CRS rating, conferring a 30% on flood insurance for property owners.
Monday, July 8, 2013
First Day at Work
Well I had some trouble with the bus this morning but I did eventually get to work. Since my computer login was not ready we went out to lunch and then I read about the county regulations- and only fell asleep once. Also got the tour and met many of the people who make the flood control agency work including permit reviewers, planners, engineers, field workers, inspectors, project managers, GIS people, public call takers, and floodplain delineators. It's a fairly large department since they have to keep up with federal, state, and local regulations and agencies as well as educate and take input from the community and do much of what's involved with the actual physical planning.
The heat is pretty extreme but feels good for a few minutes if you are coming from an office with AC. I did a lot of walking today -which was actually pretty enjoyable despite the sun.
The heat is pretty extreme but feels good for a few minutes if you are coming from an office with AC. I did a lot of walking today -which was actually pretty enjoyable despite the sun.
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