WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | Findlay flood plan is set in motion

Findlay flood plan is set in motion

By Justin Michaels - bio | email

Posted by Dave Dykema - email

FINDLAY, Ohio (WTOL) - The City of Findlay is one step closer to being protected from flood waters.

City residents will see the beginnings of a $100 million project right along Main Street, on the north side of the Blanchard River.

That's where the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership has purchased seven properties. All will be torn down to make way for the long anticipated system.

Doug McCracken is a downtown Findlay building owner who says he'll feel safe "once the walls are up." He owns much of the city block on the southwest side of the Blanchard along Main Street.

McCracken is intimately aware of what flooding in Findlay can do.

"I went through it one time and I can not go through it again," said McCracken.

Luckily for McCracken, flooding on the south side isn't as severe as the north but he's still thrilled the project to protect Findlay is now underway.

Still, he says, "It's a shame some of these places have to go but we have to do something about the flooding."

McCracken is talking about a strip of buildings on Main Street extending from the Blanchard River to Center St., including two industrial buildings and two houses.

"This area was targeted because the banks on the north side are so low and it's always the first place that floods," said Tony Iriti of the Flood Mitigation Partnership.

Former Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti is heading up the Flood Mitigation Partnership. He says the cost of the seven properties is $300 thousand, all grant money from the state.

And these seven are just the start.

"There may be many more properties that have to be acquired for the project over the long haul," said Iriti.

In fact, the city is currently looking at 45 more.

Eventually flood walls and green spaces will be installed so when the flood waters rise again building loss will be kept to a minimum.

Iriti says the whole process to have a flood protection system in place is a long one and probably won't be completed until, at the earliest, 2015.

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