Sanitary district to buy floodplain house at 904 North Penn to avoid costly levee upgrades

The Board of Sanitary Commissioners approved a purchase agreement on June 25 for the property at 904 North Penn as part of the district’s effort to remove structures from the floodplain rather than undertake expensive levee upgrades.

District Administrator Rick Conrad said restoring the levee to Army Corps of Engineers standards at that location was estimated in earlier discussion to exceed $3,000,000 and could approach $7,000,000 to protect roughly 20 homes. To avoid those expenditures, the district has been acquiring floodplain properties when they come up for sale and demolishing them. For 904 North Penn the district made an offer of $15,000; staff obtained two broker price opinions whose average was $6,450, and the offer is contingent on board approval.

Commissioner Clark confirmed the property was on the market and said the district is not forcing anyone from their home; Commissioner Selby noted the property is distressed, not occupied, and believed to have been condemned. The board approved the purchase agreement by motion and second.

The board described the strategy as a cost‑avoidance measure: remove a small number of structures now rather than invest multiple millions to meet levee upgrade standards in that segment of the system.