ANDERSON — A long overdue levee project will finally begin late this year.
Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon held an informational meeting Monday to discuss the project with homeowners who live along the White River in Park Place, preparing them for what’s to come in the next few months.
City Engineer Mike Spyers said the levee project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will finally bring the levee along the White River near Park Place to the 100-year flood level.
In 1997, the engineers did a feasibility study along the river, Spyers said, and the project was slated for 2001, but funding fell through.
The current levee, Spyers said, was built in the mid-1940s and isn’t up to current standards.
It must be raised another 3 feet, he said.
The $6 million project will be paid for with a mix of federal and local dollars, he said.
The city has borrowed $1.5 million to pay its part.
The next stage of the levee project, Spyers said, is the acquisition of land.
Land owners living along the river near the levee will likely have to sell some land to the city in order for the project to move forward.
Assessments are currently being done, and homeowners will likely see offers soon.
“Once we complete land acquisition, we can begin construction,” Spyers said.
Greg Graham, chairman of the Anderson Board of Public Works, said he remembers serving on the Anderson City Council in the mid-1980s discussing the need for the levee project.
“This project has been around for a long time.”
It’s something resident Jimmy Smith knows all too well.
Smith said he was raised in the family home in the 900 block of Central Avenue and grew up fearing the river’s rise.
Floods, he said, were commonplace.
“We have been through a lot of them. We sand-bagged almost every year.”
Resident Dudley Maples agreed, stating that he is glad to see the levee finally built to its proper height.
Resident Janis Parrish said she’s seen city officials promise the project only to say it’s been postponed more than a few times. “We’ve waited a long time.”
Once construction begins, Spyers said, the levee is expected to reach completion in 18 months and construction could begin later this year.
Contact Brandi Watters, 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com
