The preferred approach is to enhanced Land Use Bylaw Provisions and Buyout Below 250m. For more information regarding the downtown evaluation, continue reading below. Waterways historically served as the original settlement area in Fort McMurray and is the site of the Royal Canadian Legion and Athabasca Tribal Council offices. It consists of 162 private properties, 145 of which were impacted by the 2016 Horse River Wildfire. As of June 2020, 77 homes have been rebuilt. 64 properties were impacted by the 2020 flood. Flood mitigation in the form of a berm is partially complete for Reaches 10-11, and plans exist to connect to the Secondary Egress Road into Saline Creek. Key Points Structural flood mitigation is planned for this community (Reaches 10 & 11) but construction has not begun. Flood mitigation is estimated to cost at least $20 million. It is part of a larger project to tie into the Saline Creek Secondary Egress Road which is also anticipated to cost $20 million, bringing the total cost of this project to approximately $40 million. Population is 232 as of the 2018 Census and consists of 164 private properties. 94 private properties (48% of the total) are below the 250m elevation, of which 43 are developed. 68 private properties (42% of the total) are above the 250m elevation, of which 48 are developed. 140 private properties (90%) were affected during the Horse River Wildfire, of which 73 have rebuilt (45%). Proposed Approach for Waterways The preferred approach is enhanced Land Use Bylaw Provisions and Buyout Below 250m with the opportunity for a land swap. This option sees 94 properties removed from the flood hazard area, while 68 would remain on land that is above the 1:100 flood level. This option removes the properties most at risk of flooding. The Land Use Bylaw provisions should apply to a higher flood elevation (such as the 1:200) so that new development above the 250m can be afforded a higher degree of protection from a flood event that exceeds the 1:100. The second preferred option is a complete buyout of all properties. This option scored higher, but may still be considered for the following reasons (this option tied with Flood Mitigation, LUB Provisions & Limited Development below 250m, but in the event of a tie, the option that provides greater overall resilience is selected): i. It is the safest solution from a life-safety perspective. If the area was not fully bought out, residents on higher land would be without road access during a future 1:100 or higher flood event (roads leading to some portions of the community are below 250m and would be inundated by floodwaters). First responders would have difficulty accessing properties and would be putting their own lives in danger if the need to access a flooded property arose. The RMWB may choose not to proceed with the remainder of the planned flood mitigation in Waterways, budgeted at about $20 million. This would offset a portion of the buyout cost. This cost saving excludes the tie-in to the Saline Creek Secondary Egress Road. Were this egress road to also be terminated, the cost savings would rise to $40M, as the tie-in to that road would no longer be required. Existing underground infrastructure has outlived its life cycle and needs to be replaced. Further, after the 2016 Horse River Wildfire, there was discussion regarding the possibility of burying overhead power lines as is commonplace in other areas of Fort McMurray. Costs for this work have not been determined. Existing infrastructure will not need to be continually maintained to service the remaining population. Further, a partial buyout of the community may increase servicing and maintenance costs for underground infrastructure, as the current infrastructure is designed for larger volumes and may not adequately perform with lesser volume/flows. A patchwork of remaining houses could be avoided, along with the associated disjointed appearance. The proposed policy for Waterways is partial avoidance of flood risk by removing those exposed to 1:100-year flood events from the hazard area. Potential future use of the areas bought out below 250m may include parkland. This new park space could be integrated into the current riverfront parkland. If a complete buyout of all properties is pursued, opportunity exists for the Municipality to establish a sizeable festival ground or park space. Further opportunity exists to incorporate historical sites commemorating the shipping, rail and industrial heritage of Waterways. What degree of residual risk remains from overland flooding? Remaining residents will still be at risk from future floods, particularly if a flood event larger than a 1:100 occurs. Risk to property above 250m remains, and those residents may still experience difficulty obtaining flood insurance. Little residual risk remains if a full buyout is pursued, as people and property would not be present in the hazard area. What was the cost of the risk reduction? Achieving this risk reduction carries a net $15.5 million cost to taxpayers. The cost to implement the preferred option is a minimum of $35.5 million to buy out properties below 250m and remediate the area, but this is offset by cost-savings in other areas. The buyout cost is based on 2020 assessed values only, not fair market value. This figure does not include the cost of procuring land for a land swap, as this is an optional step which may or may not be pursued; it therefore does not affect the evaluation of this risk treatment. The net cost to implement the second preferred option is a minimum of $51.3 million. This also does not include the cost of procuring land for a land swap as this is an optional step. Reclamation costs are estimated to be about $10 million, but one-third (nearly $3 million) includes grading and landscaping. The grading and landscaping costs would depend on the future use of the area and could be avoided if the area were allowed to return to its natural state. Reclamation costs for the second preferred option are estimated to be about $15.5 million, but nearly $3 million comprises grading and landscaping. Again, these costs would depend on the future use of the area and could be avoided if it were allowed to return to its natural state. Cost savings would be realized as municipal services (water, sewer, road maintenance, garbage pick-up, etc.) need not be provided in future years. What new risks (if any) are generated by the risk treatment? No known new risks are created. Discussion Points within this forum: Do you agree that enhanced Land Use Bylaw Provisions and Buyout Below 250m with the opportunity for a land swap is the best solution for Ptarmigan Court? Or, would you prefer to see the entire community bought out? Why or why not? Have you talked to your neighbours about your preferred approach? What did they say? Were you in agreement? From your perspective, is there anything that you feel was missed in the evaluation (found in the report here)? How do you feel about relocation? Would you stay in the region if your home was bought out? Would you prefer that a new community be formed, or would you prefer to move to an existing home in region?