Town of Rocky Ripple

Army Corps of Engineers releases Indianapolis North Flood Damage Reduction Project Final SEIS for review

cathyhurt — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:40:59 +0000

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

NEWS RELEASE
Todd.j.hornback@usace.army.mil
502-315-6768
Carol.j.labashosky@usace.army.mil
502-315-6769

Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
Army Corps of Engineers releases Indianapolis North Flood Damage Reduction 
Project Final SEIS for review 

LOUISVILLE, KY - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District has 
completed and released the Indianapolis North Flood Damage Reduction Project 
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement  (FSEIS). View the document at 
bit.ly/indynorthlevee

The FSEIS includes several alternatives for completion of the Phase 3B alignment 
in South Warfleigh.  Public and agency comments received during the review of 
the Draft SEIS in the fall of 2012 were considered in the development of the 
FSEIS.  The FSEIS also recommends tree clearing for Phases 3A and 3C which is 
required to meet Corps of Engineers Levee Safety Criteria.  

The FSEIS is now being circulated for a 30-day review period.  During that time, 
federal, state, and local agencies, and members of the public, may submit 
written comments to the Corps of Engineers by e-mail or formal letter.  The 
FSEIS and instructions for submission of comments are available at the Corps 
Internet site bit.ly/indynorthlevee.  The comment period closes on Monday, July 
8, 2013.  The Corps will evaluate all comments received and take into 
consideration input from the City of Indianapolis, prior to any decisions being 
made on the final alignment for Phase 3B.  Those decisions will be set forth in 
a Record of Decision (ROD) by the Corps of Engineers, Louisville District.

Submit FSEIS comments via email to indynorthfseis@usace.army.mil
Mail written comments to:
COLONEL LUKE T. LEONARD
DISTRICT COMMANDER
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS LOUISVILLE DISTRICT
PO BOX 59
ATTN: CELRL-PM-P-E
LOUISVILLE, KY 40201

Comments may also be provided via telephone voicemail at 502-315-6885 for 
comments less than three minutes in length. For more detailed comments, submit 
via email or mail at the above addresses. 

###

Carol J. Labashosky 
Public Affairs Specialist 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District 
502.315.6769 
http://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleUSACE 

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

River levels

cathyhurt — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:20:57 +0000

Here is a link to the page on the NOAA website that shows river levels in Nora. There are very helpful descriptions of the flood levels at the bottom of the page.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ind&gage=nori3

Update on Friedman Park

cathyhurt — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:20:52 +0000

To summarize, a permit has been requested to remove a number of trees along the White River at the Friedman Park area. No formal public hearing has happened. It’s not too late to request one.

25 or more people who live within one mile of the project site to must sign a petition to request the public hearing (While outside Rocky Ripple, the site is less than 1.25 miles by river from Friedman Park to RR). The Town of Crows Nest is directly across the river from the proposed site of the tree canopy removal.

Markita Shepherdson from DNR is the project administrator. Other DNR staff say the permit is still active and undergoing technical review – a petition can be filed as long as it remains active. Markita can be reached at 234-1104. www.in.gov/dnr/water

Friedman Park Tree Clearing

cathyhurt — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:39:09 +0000

The following email was written by Neil Bloede, a board member of the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood Association:

“several people in the community recently learned that the Corps filed a permit to construct in a floodway from Friedman Park to the Rivi. Part of the permit is to clear almost all of the trees and vegetation along this stretch of the White River. This is a unique area because it is not technically represented by a neighborhood group like BTNA, MKNA or Rocky Ripple and I am concerned these homeowners do not understand what is about to happen and the impact the deforestation will have on the ecology of the river. Both BTNA and Rocky Ripple have declined to take a formal position on this section of the levee construction because it is out of our technical boundaries.

Therefore, I wanted to pass this information along to you in the event that you might know some property owners that live over there that might want to collect signatures and submit a petition to DNR and force a public hearing on the tree clearing along this section of the river. It takes 25 signatures from people in the affected area. The “affected area” is one mile radius from the construction site. I am outside of this area, but I’m sure that 25 people in the area north of the canal and south of Kessler (or even Warfleigh) would gladly sign this once they understand what is about to happen.

Unfortunately, we have some information that the issuance of the permit is imminent so this signature collection and submission of the petition would have to be done very quickly, maybe even this week. We have heard that they must have the trees cut down by April 15th in order to prevent the Indiana brown bat from nesting in the area.

Again, I am passing this along because people should have an opportunity to comment on public projects at a hearing and this project should be fully vetted before it permanently alters the landscape of our community. BTNA is not officially opposing the project, but it is always best when the community gets to use all available opportunities for providing input.

I have attached a link to the DNR info about the permit request and a draft copy of a petition that you could use.

http://www.in.gov/apps/dnr/water/query/dnr_water_permit_query?strFolderSubType=FW&lngFolderSeqNmbr=26947&request=FullRecord

I have copied Bart Herriman, a Rocky Ripple resident, who has been very involved in the flood wall efforts and we would be willing to help coordinate submission of the petition to DNR once it is completed.”

Flood damage reduction project open house with USACE Feb. 7

cathyhurt — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 03:31:48 +0000

From Rebuild Indy, Department of Public Works (DPW):

INDIANAPOLIS NORTH FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROJECT PHASE III: SECTION B PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE

Thursday Feb. 7, 2013, 5-7pm

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6050 N. Meridian St. (Parish Hall)

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and DPW will hold an open house to share details on the upcoming contract to construct an earthen levee beginning at Kessler Blvd., extending south 2,700 feet. There will be no formal presentation, so residents are welcome to attend at any time. Corps and City staff will be available to answer questions during the open house. In the event of inclement weather, please call 327-2378 for updates.

Flood watch/ warning lifted

cathyhurt — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:20:35 +0000

The White River is at 7.3 feet at the 82nd Street bridge near Nora. This is classified as “near flood stage”. The river level is expected to continue to go down.

Here is an excellent website if you want more information:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=ind

Flood Warning

cathyhurt — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:03:03 +0000

Good evening everyone. As a follow-up to last night’s alert, I just wanted to let everyone know that the town of Rocky Ripple has moved from a state of “Flood Watch” to “Flood Warning.” According to NOAA the following has been recorded at the Nora monitoring station:

“…FORECAST FLOODING INCREASED FROM MINOR TO MODERATE SEVERITY…

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR

THE WHITE RIVER NEAR NORA.

* AT 9:00 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 16.0 FEET.

* FLOOD STAGE IS 11.0 FEET.

* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.

* FORECAST…THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 16.8 FEET BY MONDAY

EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE LATE WEDNESDAY

MORNING.

* AT 16.0 FEET…MANY HOMES EXPERIENCE BASEMENT TO FIRST FLOOR

FLOODING NEAR WHITE RIVER AT 116TH STREET AND AT RAVENSWOOD. RIVER

EDGE ROADS FLOOD.”

As noted yesterday, it is not predicted that Rocky Ripple will experience flooding. Nevertheless, all citizens of this area should remain both vigilant and prepared. If you should see signs that water is either percolating through or flowing over the levee system around Rocky Ripple, don’t hesitate to notify Robert Tomey at 317-374-3270 or myself, Brad Barcom, at 317-730-3156.

Also, please be advised that river currents are very dangerous at this level and that children should be kept away from the river at all times.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

Brad Barcom

Rocky Ripple Town Council President

Flood Watch

cathyhurt — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:14 +0000

Good evening everyone.

With the ground saturated and heavy rains experienced north of Rocky Ripple, we’ve had several people inquire about the river water levels and whether we are in danger of flooding. The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) has stated that we are currently in a “Flood Watch,” but that we could end up with a “Flood Warning” before all is said and done. As of right now, NOAA has predicted the following at the Nora monitoring station:

“THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE WHITE RIVER NEAR NORA.

* UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* AT 11:00 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 12.8 FEET.

* FLOOD STAGE IS 11.0 FEET.

* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.

* FORECAST…THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 15.9 FEET BY

MONDAY EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE LATE

WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* AT 16.0 FEET…MANY HOMES EXPERIENCE BASEMENT TO FIRST FLOOR

FLOODING NEAR WHITE RIVER AT 116TH STREET AND AT RAVENSWOOD. RIVER

EDGE ROADS FLOOD.”

According to the NOAA’s predictions, people in Rocky Ripple should have no flooding, but it’s not a bad idea to be prepared in the event that it does. We will, however, continue monitoring the situation and notify the town in the event further action is required.

For more NOAA flood information, please go to http://rockyripple.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ad15075436e621ba94edfd1f1&id=554e425701&e=2e04407e1a

For more information on how to protect yourself in the event of a flood, please visit http://www.floodsmart.gov

Sincerely,

Brad Barcom

Rocky Ripple Town Council President

Application for new alcoholic beverage permit for Pinecone Center

cathyhurt — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:58:06 +0000

Update: The hearing has been moved to Dec. 3. Details will be posted when they are available.

———————————————

An application for a new alcoholic beverage permit has been filed with the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission by The Pinecone Center, 841 W 53rd Street. The permit applied for is beer/wine on-premise consumption. (Permit RR4929282)

There will be a public hearing before the Marion County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board on October 1, 9:30am, Room 260, City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., Indianapolis IN 46203.

if you wish to remonstrate against the issue of this permit, you may attend the hearing on Oct. 1.

Saving Rocky Ripple- the time for action is NOW!

cathyhurt — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:33:12 +0000

With the September 28 public comment deadline only days away, THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW! Please contact the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) regarding their Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Indianapolis, White River (North), IN Flood Damage Reduction Project Phase 3B proposal.

As you know, the ACE cannot do the project without consent from the City of Indianapolis. And a number of residents are trying to seek help from Congressman André Carson.

That said, you are urged to also send copies of your ACE letter to City officials and to Congressman Carson. Here is their contact information:

Army Corps of Engineers

Colonel Luke T. Leonard

District Commander

US Army Corps of Engineers,

Louisville District

PO Box 59

ATTN: CELRL-PM-P-E

Louisville, KY 40201

Comments will also be accepted through e-mail at Michael.Turner@usace.army.mil .

City of Indianapolis

Lori Miser
Director, Indianapolis Department of Public Works

2460 City-County Building
200 E. Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

or lori.miser@indy.gov

You can also contact

Mayor Gregory Ballard

City of Indianapolis

2501 City County Building

200 East Washington Street

Indianapolis, IN 46204

U.S. Congress

Congressman André Carson

District Office
300 E Fall Creek Pkwy N Dr.
Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46205-4258

or (317) 283-6516

or https://forms.house.gov/carson/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm (note: scroll to end of page to access form)

(You can also thank Congressman Carson for his May 4, 2011, letter supporting Rocky Ripple!)

Be sure to reference the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Indianapolis, White River (North), IN Flood Damage Reduction Project Phase 3B. Include your name and address. Before mailing your letter, make copies and send those to the other officials named (or deliver via e-‐mail).

It is critical that officials here from you. Letters are best. And it’s critical that the letter comes from you! Personalize your letter—officials respond better to your personal reasons for taking a particular position on an issue. And finally, it’s critical that we be professional and polite in our correspondence.

Here are some reasons you might include in your letter for those who oppose the ACE proposals.

• The Army Corps of Engineers should design a plan that protects all life and property.

• The Army Corps of Engineers plans fail to consider the aesthetic, environmental, and economic value of trees and wildlife that will be lost, as well as the sense of community threatened by the proposed alignment.

• The “Rocky Ripple” Alignment, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, would require the removal of many Rocky Ripple riverfront homes through Eminent Domain, which is allegedly required to construct a new levee that conforms to post-Katrina standards. The taking of resident homes is unfair and financially devastating to those residents and to the Town’s tax base. This option, which has been deemed unfeasible by the Corps, would also be bad for the Rocky Ripple community and its residents. We want flood protection without the removal of Rocky Ripple homes.

• The Corps has included costs associated with a new sewer system and lift station, which is not relevant to the flood control project and artificially inflates the Rocky Ripple Alignment costs.

• In the event of a flood warning, the proposed sandbag closures of the 52^nd and 53^rd Street bridges would prevent any and all traffic into and out of Rocky Ripple, including emergency vehicles.

• Butler University’s Board of Trustees continues to oppose options that exclude Rocky Ripple. The Board recently voted not to support the current plans, or any that does not include protection for Rocky Ripple.

• The Army Corps of Engineers needs to reevaluate its proposals—not enough information is provided in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. For instance, the ACE should not approve any plan that walls off an entire community and puts any life at risk.

• What guarantee exists that in the event of a major flood event, a gate on 52nd Street would be closed in time to prevent flooding beyond Rocky Ripple? Who within the City of Indianapolis or the Town of Rocky Ripple can provide a 100 percent guarantee that this function will be performed, for instance, at 3 a.m. in driving rain, in January (consider 1991)?

• The proposed flood wall would adversely affect the property value of homes in the Butler–Tarkington neighborhood and in the Town of Rocky Ripple.

• As tax payers, Rocky Ripple residents should expect (and receive) the same level of flood protection as other tax-paying citizens.

• The American Water Works Association designated the Central Canal as an American Water Landmark in 1971. Compromising the Canal also compromises plans for Art2Art, a project endorsed by Mayor Ballard and supported with a planning grant from the Central Indiana Community Foundation. The proposed project will degrade the aesthetic beauty of this city treasure.

• Citizens’ Water has voiced their opposition to the ACE’s current recommendations.

• Given that the White River will be channeled from Broad Ripple, south to and including the area adjacent to the Riviera Club, residents of Rocky Ripple will become increasingly vulnerable to flood events given that channeled water tends to flow faster and higher, thus further eroding and compromising what remains of the 1930s earthen levee that surrounds the Town of Rocky Ripple.

• Many residents did not live in Rocky Ripple in the mid 1990s. To exclude an entire community based on a straw poll with a ten-vote difference conducted in the mid 1990s is hardly a referendum for failing to protect an entire community from flooding.

Add your personal reasons for wanting the current project stopped and the comment period extended. In stopping the current project, ask officials to reconsider flood protection for Rocky Ripple.

For more ideas, information, and updates, visit http://www.rr4floodprotection.org/.

Here’s a quick summary of the ACE options:

• The Rocky Ripple alignment proposes 300-year flood wall protection along the White River around our community and requires removal of many river houses (a number of them predate 1913!), taken by eminent domain.

• The Westfield Alignment proposes a wall along Westfield Boulevard and the canal; offers no flood protection to our community and it walls Rocky Ripple into the flood plain.

• 56^th Street Alignment proposes a wall along 56^th Street, affecting the 56^th and Illinois Street business corridors and offers no flood protection to our community.

If any of these projects move forward, Rocky Ripple will be adversely impacted. In the end, neighbors must stand together. We as a community deserve the same protections that other communities get.

THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW!!