County to Buy Residential Properties to Restore Floodplains

Gwinnett County, using federal and state grants, will buy and demolish 11 houses in the county, two in Lilburn and nine in Lawrenceville, that were heavily damaged in the 2009 floods. The county plans to restore the properities to their natural floodplain function.

The county board of commissioners on Tuesday accepted the grant for the project, which totals more than $2.1 million, to buy the properties, demolish the structures on them, and maintain the land. Of that, $1.594 million is from the federal government, $212,546 is from the state, and $318,818 will come from the property owners.

The grant was awarded by the Georgia Department of Homeland Security (Georgia Emergency Management Agency) for the Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program for the purpose of breaking "the cycle of damage" and prevent further expensive repairs.

“No one wants to lose their home to flooding, but we know that hazardous floodplain elevations have increased in some places over time, making repeat damage more likely,” said Lynn Smarr, acting director of the Department of Water Resources, in an emailed press release.