Bevil Oaks city council members has decided to drop a city ordinance requiring elevation for post Hurricane Harvey reconstruction.
Since last month, Lisa Roberts has been working tirelessly to get her home fixed after Harvey. Roberts says that the decision helps remove some of the anxiety within the community.
The elevation regulation applies to buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas that have "substantial damage," where the cost of repairs is assessed at more than half the building's market value.
According to the Bevil Oaks Floodplain office, the decision was made to meet FEMA regulations. Buildings that meet those criteria need to be rebuilt to comply with federal and local regulations. Besides the floodplain elevation requirements, municipalities can add additional height or requirements, like the ordinance Bevil Oaks used to have.
"I think it was necessary because the whole city would have been gone,” said Lisa Roberts, Bevil Oaks resident. Every house out here would have had to elevate."
The base elevation at Roberts home is 28.4 feet which is four inches below the requirement. It would have costed her tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
Roberts says that the decision is one less thing she has to worry about when it comes to her home.