Friday, June 20, 2008

Of Floods and Levees — 2

Others are taking notice.

With the increasing number of levees that are failing along the Mississippi, it is become more and more apparent that someone has grossly underestimated the potential for disaster. Even our own Pueblo Chieftain has noticed.

What’s caught our notice is that some levees built along the Mississippi River and its tributaries have been breached, letting floodwaters pour into areas that otherwise might have been considered safe. And we’ve heard an echo of this right here in Pueblo.

Considering what we’ve witnessed of late vis-a-vis the disasters in Peppersauce Bottoms, we look at the Fountain and have to wonder just how safe our system is.

This is especially true when we look at the I-25 overpass at 13th Street, as the Fountain flows by a few yards to the east. There is NO levee there. Just as there was no levee on the road running beside a river as it flowed past Cedar Rapids. I captured a photo from the Fox News article. I wish I could provide it here, but I’m concerned about copyright violations. Suffice it to say that someone piled up heaps of dirt and some sandbags at a low point in the highway, in an act of desperation, to keep the river within it’s banks. The photograph shows the river having breached the makeshift levee and flowing across the road.

It’s pathetic. It’s the quintessential example of the Six Ps; Army Staff puke axiom about Piss Poor Planning.

This brings me to my forthcoming query to the Pueblo County Emergency Management Department. As a member of the Pueblo Area Council Of Governments (PACOG) Environmental Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC), at their next regular meeting I will call for the County emergency management people to explain the following:

[1] What are the levees along the Arkansas and Fountain rated to withstand?
[2] What data and/or parameters were used in the formulation of the 100-year and 500-year flood estimates?
[3] How do those parameters match up against the event in Iowa and Illinois of the last few weeks?
[4] What were the levees that failed in Iowa and Illinois rated to withstand?
[5] What are the written plans to deal with flooding in the Arkansas and Fountain?

I think we need to see how our County government is prepared to deal with this sort of crisis. After all….we’re getting into the range of another 100-year event. The flood of 1921’s 100-year anniversary is not that far off.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Of Floods and Levees

How safe are our levees?

Over the last few years, we’ve heard some reports of serious problems with our system of levees. We have the disaster in New Orleans where the levees—which had not been properly upgraded—were demolished by Hurricane Katrina. Now we see Cedar Rapids and Des Moines experiencing similar disasters because the levees were not up to the task.

In the former, it was a major storm lashing the works. In this iteration, it’s just an awful lot of water that is higher than the Corps of Engineers seem to have anticipated. And this is supposedly the proverbial 500-year flood.

It makes me wonder whether or not our levees, along the Fountain are up to this sort of flood. Or are they, as appears in Iowa, only built for the 100-year sort of flood.

There’s a picture up on Fox News showing where one of the two ‘breaks’ in levees occurred in Des Moines. And guess what….there WAS no levee there. Except for the few piles of pathetic dirt someone tried to shove on the edge of the road. Personally, I’m seeing what local Emergency Management might attempt at the I25 overpass at 13th Street, vis-a-vis the Fountain. Some dirt piled up to face a 100-year flood and it not holding up to the challenge of the moment. Let alone a 500-year deluge. And it makes me wonder….what would happen to the Northside neighborhoods and businesses. Or downtown business for that matter.

I’d like to see the Pueblo County Emergency Management Department plans to deal with such an emergency.

Hopefully, they’re a bit more comprehensive than sending the police through the neighborhood telling people to get out over a bullhorn pointed out the window of their cruiser…..

UPDATE Another One Busted [141616 Jun 08]: Fox News reports another levee, this one on the Mississippi River as it passes Illinois, has busted.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Part 1: So What Was Going with that Historic District and Council?

I apologize for any errors in the following narration. I have been patiently waiting for the minutes of the January 14, 2008, Pueblo City Council meeting to be posted on the City’s web site, but they are still not there.

Monday, January 14, 2008, Pueblo City Council was presented with a proposed historic district to be called the North Side Historic District. It has approximately 35 properties. The district boundaries had already been redrawn to accommodate people who protested being included.

After “testimony” was heard, Council then discussed the issue and decided that before the District could be finalized, every property owner had to agree to be included with an affidavit. This is not in Pueblo’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.  This goes way beyond the noticing that the City was required to do and did do. This is called “changing the rules so your opponent can’t score.”

Personally, I think the whole thing was quite likely manipulated by parties with other agendas. I won’t say it was exactly pre-planned or orchestrated, but under the circumstances, it would be very easy to manipulate.

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Monday, October 08, 2007

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — 071010

A reminder….

This Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 10 October 2007, the Pueblo Planning and Zoning Commission will be holding a public hearing on a number of different matters.

One of those matters will be whether or not to recommend, with approval or disapproval, a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for an expansion of Parkview Medical Center.

The hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers.

All are invited to attend and participate…..

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Parkview PUD Diagrams — Update 071004

A significant change in the PUD plan.

If you downloaded the Parkview PUD plans posted yesterday….they’ve been ‘revised’.

The new plan diagrams, as unveiled to the public at last nights public forum, are no longer geared to the number of floors the hospital can have at various locations on its campus. Instead, they are geared to something called the Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR).

What does it mean?

Well, that was a question a lot of people were asking of Mr. Pacheco, after the new plan was revealed.

Here’s how I understood it.

The height of the structure is dependent upon its (1) FAR rating, e.g., 1:1, 3.5:1, 4:1, 5:1, etc., etc., N:1 and (2) the structure’s ‘footprint’, i.e., the amount of square footage it takes up…at a given level.

By means of example, consider this….

There is a square plot of land that is 500 feet on a side. About the size of the Rosemount Museum property.

If a developer were to have a 1:1 FAR he could build a 1-story building that measured 500 feet on a side, covering the whole lot. If he had a 5:1 FAR he could build a 5-story building that measured 500 feet on a side.

On the other hand, if he decided he wanted some sidewalks and/or lawn, he’d be reducing the footprint of the building on that lot accordingly. So, if he gave half of the land on the lot up to sidewalks and greenery, if his FAR were 1:1 he could build a 2-story building that measured 250 feet on a side. For a 5:1 FAR he could build a 10-story building.

If the developer decided to use only one quarter of the lot for the building he could have a 4-story building that was 125 feet on a side at a 1:1 FAR. With a 5:1 FAR he could build a 20-story building of those dimensions.

That is the simple explanation. It gets more complex, i.e., approaching rocket-science, when you start talking about step-backs in the building; building the next story up with less square footage than the previous story.

An important point to remember is this….There is no height restriction with this approach. Hence, there was no side-view of elevations presented with the new diagrams revealed last night, as there had been with the previous set of diagrams.

And, as Mr. Pacheco answered to a question, there are no rules or city ordinances that are ‘sacred’ in the PUD concept. It is, literally, whatever the City Council will allow.

For more information on the FAR, check out THIS LINK.

UPDATE Additionally [041141 Oct 07]: Whereas I’m not perfectly certain of this, but I do believe that it is ‘cheaper’, i.e., less expensive, to build UP than OUT. Something to do with infrastructure in the building, I think. Therefore, it would be in a developer’s interest to build a higher structure with a reduced footprint. And I do believe that was a point that was made during the course of last night’s meeting.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Parkview PUD Diagrams

The Plan, as it exists of last week.

The downloadable files that follow are the overhead and elevation views of the proposed Parkview Planned Unit Development (PUD), as I understand them to be as of last week.

Overhead View

Side View

These are PDF documents, so you’ll need Adobe Reader to see them.

You can get the application for FREE at THIS PLACE.

I apologize for the poor resolution, as it is difficult to read the fine print, but due to the circumstances, i.e., greater resolution makes the files VERY large, this is all that can be done.

For the Overhead View, all H1 areas can be 8-stories high, H2 can be 7-stories, H3 can be 6-stories.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Pueblo’s PUD Ordinance

A look at the law.

At THIS link, please find a PDF document of the Pueblo City Ordinances relating to Planned Unit Developments.

Please review it and be prepared to discuss it at a not-too-distant future date.

UPDATE Additional Information [030943 Oct 07]: All Pueblo Code Ordinances can be downloaded HERE, in PDF, from the site operated by the City of Pueblo. For information relating to zoning, select the items labeled TITLE 17. There are two such files. The first one has the information about zones and setbacks that were discussed last night, at the OHNO Bi-Monthly General Meeting. The second file has the information about PUDs, which has been provided in the link above.

Parkview Medical Center’s PUD

Presenting the PUD!

Tomorrow night, 3 October 2007, Pueblo’s Planning & Development Department will be holding a public hearing on Parkview’s proposal for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to modify their campus.

The meeting will be held in the cafeteria of the SRDA building at 230 North Union. It will start at 6 pm. Mr. Pacheco, the head of the department will be hosting the meeting.

We’ll be providing what information we know of the PUD at the OHNO bi-monthly meeting tonight. [Note: See earlier item on the blog for details of that meeting’s location and time.]

Additionally, on the following Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 10 October 2007, in the City Council Chambers, the Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing before approving the proposed PUD.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Ethics In Pueblo Government — Part 1

Questions for our City Fathers and Mothers.

Last night, at the regular City Council meeting, Susan Pelto, President of the Old Historic Northside Organization (OHNO), addressed the city’s government officials during the Open Forum period of the meeting.

In her address she asked the City Council members to answer some questions relating to their participation in business and other activities in the OHNO area.

Here is the content of her statement…..

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Preserving Our History

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. (Paraphrase of some famous quote by a famous person.)

The City of Pueblo will soon be considering landmarking two new historic districts, one around Rosemount and the other just north of Parkview Medical Center.

Both districts are the result of an Historic Architecture Survey undertaken by Historitecture, LLC. Most of the documents developed by them are available on their web site. The study itself, with maps of the proposed districts can be found on the City of Pueblo’s web site. Details about historic districts which are landmarked by the City can be found at the Historic Preservation Commission’s web site, including a copy of the ordinance.

A team from the Old Historic Northside Organization, Inc., the neighborhood association which includes the historic districts, is going door-to-door with information about historic districts. The literature includes a pros and cons sheet and a frequently asked questions sheet.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

The [Parkview] Plan (Part 5)

Not So Easy Listening

It’s funny how listening to a meeting and taking notes of it by a recording is such a draining experience. But nevertheless, it is. And hence, I did not get to this until this morning…..

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

The [Parkview] Plan (Part 4)

A brief comment….

...on something I overlooked from the Chieftain article I fisked yesterday.

This caught my eye yesteday and I didn’t want to address it at that time. I wanted to let it percolate through this limestone core I call a brain.

“If you came here to hear why we’re tearing down the Beaumont House, we’re not,” he [C.W. Smith, CEO of Parkview Hospital] said.

Now, having slept on it a bit, here is my observation of what C.W. said.

Being a trained combat engineer, I know there are a number of different ways you can destroy a structure. Bulldozing it, a la Thatcher House 2003, is just one technique. Tearing it down with a wrecking crew is another. Then one can burn it down….say in an unfortunate accident. Something like what happpened to Mineral Palace Park’s green house. Or, on a more ‘uplifting’ approach, one can blow it up….“Gas leak! Everybody out before it blows!”

Then, if you’re REALLY into the esoteric approaches, one could use biological weapons. Things like termites. Or unique molds that would require the destruction of the place as it was no longer acceptable for meetings with people who might be allergic to such.

There are as many ways to destroy a building as one can imagine. The end result is the building is gone and one can always build something else there….maybe even a few thousand more square feet of profitable hospital structure.

Personally, if I were in C.W.‘s position, I’d turn Beaumont House into my personal office, complete with a three-star chef and kitchen crew to support lavish meetings and parties. In the mid-80s, at 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Headquarters, the area where the generals worked was referred to as ‘Carpet Country’. It was, from a lowly grunt’s perspective, very posh. They always did things with panache. I would think that the CEO of an organization like Parkview would see the advantage and prestige of Beaumont House as their CEO’s office and Public Relations interface with a community that treasures historic buildings like that grand old house.

More, later today. Right now the Sunday Morning Brunch tradition at Casa Pelto Pueblo must be attended too. The Richmond BBQ Pork (left overs) hash is about ready. The biscuits are baking and I need to start the eggs.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

The [Parkview] Plan (Part 3)

Let the fun and games begin!

The other night, Parkview Hospital held a town hall-esque meeting to unveil their initial plans about their intentions to expand their campus on the Northside.

Regrettably, I was not able to attend the meeting. I was detained by some back issues. However, I did get a couple of things. The first is an iPod recording of the proceedings of said meeting. The second is a nice article in the Pueblo Chieftain.

I’ve not had time to listen to the iPod recording, yet. I’m planning on doing that, taking notes and making comments, here, based on that during the course of this weekend.

Today, I’ll comment on what I found in the Chieftain’s article. It will be something of a fisking….

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The [Parkview] Plan (Part 2)

Tomorrow Night…

....Parkview will unveil their plan for expansion of their Northside campus.

The meeting will be held in the Rosemount Conference Room of the Parkview Financial (Old Scottish Rite) Building, 1518 North Elizabeth. The presentation begins at 5 pm.

I know a lot of people are interested in this. First off we need information of what the hospital plans. Then we need to see what control measures there are in place to insure everything is done in a honest and open manner, i.e., no skirting of the rules and ordinances that every other business and entity has to abide by.

I’m sure we’ll have opportunity to discuss these plans. The question is how much time and under what circumstances.

So…the first step is to see what the hospital has in mind.

See you tomorrow night….

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

The Pueblo Chieftain Gives a Dam…

...a good rep.

It’s good to see the Chieftain giving a dam on the Fountain a good write-up this morning.

Monday’s little New Orleans in Pueblo, vis-a-vis the break in the old levee. Reminded me of the old levee in New Orleans that failed when they had their storm problem.

And we can all be thankful that this problem manifested itself now, while it was relatively small, instead of later, when it could have been so much worse….think 1921.

Global warming is a fact. [Note: Human contribution to it is an issue, to be discussed in a different venue/thread.] The effects of it are up for considerable discussion. But it seems we’re getting a bit more water here, along the Front Range.  And, with all the construction that has gone on in Colorado Springs, we’re getting more flow down the Fountain than we had some 50 years ago.

As a result, we certainly need to pay more attention to the way the Fountain is ‘growing’ and the levees we have in place to manage that growth.

However, the articles and editorials in the Chieftain are highlighting an interesting train of thought on that management. A dam on the Fountain.

I’ve thought this to be a great idea since I mentioned it to the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy meeting a few years back. This, during their public forum period. I think it interesting that one of the impanelled subject matter experts started scribbling notes when I mentioned the idea.

At any rate, a dam on the Fountain, between here and C’Springs would serve a multitude of purposes.

[1] Flood prevention.
[2] A settling pond for effluent form C’Springs.
[3] Back-up water supply.
[4] Reuse of water.
[5] Recreation.

These are obvious. However, less obvious are the additional benefits.

Take, for example, what happens to the water coming out of such a dam.

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