Public meetings will be held next week to show draft floodplain maps affecting more than 7,000 individual properties on Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s west side from Cornelius to Pineville.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services is redrawing floodplain maps, sometimes called Flood Hazard Maps, for the entire county. (Image shown is stock photo, not local.) The remapping is being done in phases over several years. The newest set of floodplain maps is for Phase 2. It includes western sections of Charlotte, Cornelius, Huntersville and Pineville along with a small portion of Davidson.
Postcards have been mailed to thousands of property owners whose land may be affected by the new, draft floodplain maps. The mailers invite residents to one of three open house meetings where Storm Water Services staff will meet individually with property owners, use computers to show how the new maps might affect their property, and answer residents’ questions. Drop-in meetings will be held:
Huntersville – Monday, July 23, 6 to 8 p.m.
CPCC-Merancas (North) Campus, 11920 Verhoeff Drive
Center City – Tuesday, July 24, 6 to 8 p.m.
Hal Marshall Services Center (free parking), 700 North Tryon Street, Charlotte Pineville – Wednesday, July 25, 6 to 8 p.m. The Hut Meeting Center, 413 Johnston Drive Residents can also see the new, draft floodplain lines and make comments or ask questions using an online, interactive map. The draft maps for Phase 2 must go through local and federal review and are not expected to take effect for regulatory (development) or insurance purposes until 2014. New floodplain maps for central and southeastern Mecklenburg County (Phase 1) were shown to the public starting in 2010 and are currently being reviewed by the federal government. Those maps are expected to take effect in 2013. Updated floodplain maps for northeastern Mecklenburg County (Phase 3) will be ready for public viewing in 2014 and will likely take effect in 2016. The maps show land along larger creeks which has a specific risk of flooding. In the regulated floodplain, new development and redevelopment is restricted and most mortgage-holders must buy flood insurance. 
Hal Marshall Services Center (free parking), 700 North Tryon Street, Charlotte Pineville – Wednesday, July 25, 6 to 8 p.m. The Hut Meeting Center, 413 Johnston Drive Residents can also see the new, draft floodplain lines and make comments or ask questions using an online, interactive map. The draft maps for Phase 2 must go through local and federal review and are not expected to take effect for regulatory (development) or insurance purposes until 2014. New floodplain maps for central and southeastern Mecklenburg County (Phase 1) were shown to the public starting in 2010 and are currently being reviewed by the federal government. Those maps are expected to take effect in 2013. Updated floodplain maps for northeastern Mecklenburg County (Phase 3) will be ready for public viewing in 2014 and will likely take effect in 2016. The maps show land along larger creeks which has a specific risk of flooding. In the regulated floodplain, new development and redevelopment is restricted and most mortgage-holders must buy flood insurance.
