Flood project goof leaves some residents in harm's way

Error in the Matadero/Barron Creek flood control project may cause a neighborhood dispute

A design error in the recently completed Matadero/Barron Creek flood control project may leave one south Palo Alto neighborhood pitted against another over the issue of who will bear the brunt of the mistake.

Palo Alto was recently informed about the error made by the Santa Clara Water District, which may impact hundreds of homeowners. The snafu may have more impact this year in particular, as Northern California braces itself for what scientists are predicting could be a an extremely wet year.

The mistake concerned the Water District's calculations for the Louis Road bridge over Matadero Creek. At issue is the amount of water from Matadero Creek that can realistically flow under the bridge.

The district, to ensure protection against a 100-year flood for residents near both creeks, designed a diversion from Barron Creek into Matadero Creek and then expanded Matadero Creek's capacity to withstand the extra water as part of a flood control project that began in 1985.

At the end of the project, the district had anticipated removing 200 homes--most of them in Barron Park--from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Special Flood Hazard Area. This would mean that those property owners who still have mortgages on their homes would no longer be required to carry flood insurance, a savings of about $500 a year.

Properties in that area also would no longer required to comply with certain requirements for major remodels. The eight-year taxpayer-funded flood control project ended in July 1996.

But while Matadero Creek could contain a 100-year event until about Alma Street, the district didn't design the Louis Road bridge over Matadero Creek to withstand more than a 50-year flood.

Because of the error and the options available to correct it, the 200 Barron Park homes will not be removed from the flood zone.

To make matters worse, the mistake has the potential of putting new homes in harm's way. Should a 100-year flood occur this winter, water could surge back from Louis Road causing the creek to flood at about Waverley Street--an area that has never been at risk before.

A preliminary solution proposed by the district would swing the risk back to the Barron Park neighborhood. Less water would be diverted from Barron Creek into Matadero Creek, ensuring protection against a 100-year flood for Midtown but only ensuring Barron Park could withstand a 20-year flood, about equivalent to the 1983 flood, says Bob Moss, Barron Park's creek committee chair.

In a staff report to the Palo Alto City Council, the Public Works Department explained the district's decision to reduce the Barron Creek diversion. "(I)t eliminates the condition of causing flooding in new areas, provides improved flood protection to all properties when compared with pre-project conditions, and minimizes the total number of properties at risk of flooding," the report says.

"I've heard nobody say they wanted that (solution)," said Moss. "I think it's pretty clear that we're not going to go for something like that right off."

Before the flood control project began in 1985, district officials claim, Barron Park was only protected against a five-year flood.

If the Water District doesn't correct the immediate problem at Louis Road, the district could face potential litigation from homeowners in Midtown who have never had to worry about flood insurance before.

"There is a liability issue when you create a flood hazard for people," said Debbie Mytels, chair of the Midtown Residents Association.

The district has determined it will take between one and two years to permanently correct the error at the Louis Road bridge. District officials have decided to postpone making a decision about a temporary fix until they meet with residents tonight and tomorrow night although they are exploring a variety of options.

--Elisabeth Traugott

Special meetings

Residents who live near Barron Creek will have the opportunity to meet with Santa Clara Valley Water district officials tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hyatt Rickey's in Palo Alto. Matadero Creek neighbors will have the same opportunity on Thursday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Palo Alto.

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