I have been reading for a long time about the Burns Bottom issue for soccer fields. Some believe that since it is located in a flood zone it is in an inappropriate location. As a person with a background in emergency planning with mitigation knowledge, it is suggested to develop such areas for communities for recreational use and buffer flood zones. The county and the city could look into the land fund mitigation for flood zones there is moneys for development.
It is easy to clean up a low areas that has been flooded with structures that have been designed to have open areas to allow flood waters to flow through stands that are secured that allow flow through structures or removable equipment. It costs more for the federal flood program to rebuild homes that are repeatedly rebuilt in flood areas than to purchase the same property to use for a large open event area that revenues can be gained for the whole community.
The area”s history of flooding has slowed. Historical flood records show Burns Bottom flooded every couple years. Since the dredging and expansions of the Tennessee-Tombigbee when they built the lock and dams, flooding has lessened. Floods have a time line and you can predict when the water is going to rise and when it will recede.
I believe that Burns Bottom would be a great asset to our community if is a multiple use complex not just for soccer grounds. I can hope that the planners look at the multiplex concept.
Pauline Redmond
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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