City council agrees to pay up to $100,000 for development study
Only standing room was available at Tuesday’s Columbia City Council meeting, with the majority of attendants wearing stickers encouraging council members to “Vote NO” and “Save Rocky Branch Floodplain.”
Columbia City Council didn’t vote no, but they didn’t vote yes either.
After a “five-minute” recess that turned into almost an hour, council members took advice from USC Earth and Water Sciences professor Venkat Lakshmi and voted to delay making a decision, instead funding up to $100,000 for a study to be conducted on the impact of the development of a Walmart shopping center on South Assembly Street where the Capital City Stadium currently stands. Developing the area would affect the Rocky Branch Creek floodplain, which is an area with an excess water backup.
The new study is intended to look at the development’s impact on the floodplain, and Councilwoman Leona Plough suggested working with the developer on a plan he is prepared to implement. The study could take three to four months and the city may use reserve funds to pay for it.
A separate study conducted six years ago provided suggestions to combat floods caused by Rocky Branch Creek, which stretches about 2 miles starting near the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, running through Five Points and USC down to Assembly. The creek causes streets like Sumter, Whaley, Main and Bluff Road to flood during storms.
A flash flood that occurred in September wreaked havoc across USC’s campus and Five Points. The 2006 study recommended detention areas, a tunnel option and channel modifications to improve the flooding problem, but would have cost $40 million to implement.
USC Chief Financial Officer Ed Walton sent a letter to Columbia City Council and said, “Though we continually study the effects of the creek on USC property, we have no specific plans or projects now, or within the foreseeable future, addressing any changes or improvements to the Rocky Branch Creek.”
In addition to flooding, Mayor Steve Benjamin said the development has brought up issues including infrastructure improvements, job creation, water quality, disposing of public land and business development.
“Usually when you have these types of discussions going on in the room, the room can become very crowded. Incredibly crowded,” Benjamin said.
He added the best view to approach situations like this is from the balcony and took responsibility for elongating the debate.
Even though city council didn’t “Vote NO,” the audience still applauded the decision.
Click Link under Download Attachments to view letter by Professor Venkat Lakshmi!