Is Your Property In The Proposed Floodplain?

Caledonia residents may want to check a newly revised floodplain map to see if their property is in a designated floodplain.

A public hearing was held last night. The maps were reviewed by the Village Planning Commission, which also voted to recommend that the Village Board approve the maps on April 2.

The last time the maps were revised was in 1982 and they were re-evaluated in 2007. The newly proposed maps are being considered by the Village Board, and are located at the .

Those maps amend and repeal the current zoning maps, and change the zoning code that pertains to floodplains. They designate areas that have a 1 percent annual chance of a flood.

Mike Hayek, the Village Engineer, said that while the maps haven't changed all that much, the technology used to produce the maps is more defined.

"Now they have high pixel maps and it shows the houses, the trees and the roads where it didn't used to do that," Hayek said.

Because the sophistication of the equipment is better, the aerial photos now show more detail. And while the floodplains generally followed the contour maps, some houses near the floodplains might be in or out of the designated areas.

"You almost have to see what it was then and what it is now," Hayek said.

Tom Lebak, administrator for the Village, stated in an email that the "Adoption of this revised ordinance will maintain the Village’s eligibility in the Federal Flood Insurance program."

The Board needs to have the new floodplain maps approved before May 2, which is when they need to go into effect.