City celebrates drainage project completion

BLANCO GARDENS

After the devastating All Saints Flood and Memorial Day Flood of 2015, flood mitigation is at the top of the minds of all San Marcans. According to information provided by the city of San Marcos, it secured funding from Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Mitigation programs through federal support from the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development, which was partially used to complete drainage improvements at Blanco Gardens. The city of San Marcos hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the completion of the Blanco Gardens Drainage Improvements.

Sean Condor, San Marcos Engineering and Capital Improvements director, said due to the significant floods of 2015, the city of San Marcos received Community Development Block Grant Funding: $33.79 million in 2016 and $24.09 million in 2019.

“I want to give a brief update to everyone on how the city has allocated this $58 million received from both the CDBG disaster recovery and mitigation program,” Condor said. “The majority of this funding was allocated to four large stormwater projects in order to decrease the risk of flooding to the specific areas of town that were the most impacted by the 2015 flood. The four major infrastructure projects include the Uhland Road improvements project at $6.1 million. We also receive funding on the Midtown Drain improvements in the amount of $3.2 million. The Blanco Riverine Project, which was just completed two months ago, at $20.8 million and also the Blanco Gardens project at $15.2 million.”

Condor said in addition to infrastructure projects, the city has allocated approximately $4.9 million to housing issues.

“Using these funds, the public housing authorities reimbursed nearly $700,000 in unfunded costs for rehabilitating flood damaged homes,” he said. “We have $1.8 million that’s used for various plans and studies which are in motion, such as the hazard mitigation plan, stormwater master plan and updating our CRS plan. We have $1.7 million budgeted for purchase of green space in the future, as well as $400,000 of it that has been used for installation of river gages and a flood warning system as well as signs and barricades to place at low-water crossings.”

Condor gave specifics of what the Blanco Gardens Drainage Improvements entailed.

“Some of the key features are the storm water system along Conway, Barbara and River Road. We have a new concrete channel in the alleyways to connect storm water pipes to River Road. We have a new major outfall to the San Marcos River,” Condor said. “We’ve regraded River Road, back behind us here, to allow it to drain better, and we’ve added new curb bumps on River Road as well. Together with the Blanco Riverine flood Project … and the now completed Blanco Gardens improvements, we have significantly reduced impact potential.”

Zuleika Morales-Romero, HUD San Antonio Field Office director, said her area entails 57 counties from Cameron to Williamson.

“One of the things that we have to recognize is that this is the fastest growing area, not only for Texas but in the country. So we are seeing a lot more people coming in, and the demand for housing as demand for infrastructure is very much a thing in Hays County right now,” she said, adding that these improvements were completed due to the persistence of the city of San Marcos.

San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson thanked city staff, the construction companies and HUD for the completion of the improvements.

“It was a very significant project with a lot of complexities,” Hughson said. “We put up with a lot for this project, but we have a wonderful project that will serve us for many years to come.”