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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from the Martin Community Recently we have been receiving questions at the web site about the project from citizens living within and around the Town of Martin. In the interest of assuring that everyone had access to the same answers to those questions, we thought it best to provide the answers on the web site. We chose not to include anyone’s name from the contact information, but if you recognize your question; you have our thanks for contributing and the following text contains your answer: Question 1. A person expressed their concern that some people are being forced from their homes in the area. Answer: Actually only those people living directly within the downtown area of Martin will be required to sell their homes for project construction. Authority was granted to the Corps of Engineers to implement a mandatory relocation program for that phase of the project by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Implementation of mandatory relocations is conducted under Public Law 91-646 entitled “The Uniform Relocations Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1971.” Each of those families and individual homeowners within the downtown area of the project will be given the opportunity to relocate back into the Town of Martin into new homes constructed according to present-day building codes. The Corps of Engineers will be working closely with the Big Sandy Area Development District and the City of Martin to build new homes sized for each individual or family’s needs. In each case, new homeowners will have the opportunity to relocate to a new home with the same financial obligations they now have for their houses. Those people who do not live within the downtown area, but live within the incorporated limits of Martin and are subject to flooding by the 100-year flood event are in Phase IV of the project which is the voluntary portion of the project. Homeowners will have the option to voluntarily sell their property to the Corps and be relocated to new housing within the raised portion of downtown Martin or rebuild in an alternate flood-safe location. No one in this phase of the project will be required to move from their home for project construction. Landowners may chose not to participate in this phase of the program and remain where they are located now. Anyone who lives outside of the incorporated limits of the City of Martin but within Floyd County and whose home or business is subject to flooding will be included in the Floyd County Nonstructural Project which is now in the planning stages. That project has not been administratively approved nor has any funding been allocated for implementation of that project at this time. Question 2: A person asked where people will live in Martin when the project is completed. Answer: The currently approved master Plan for Downtown Martin is shown on this web site by clicking on “Why Redevelopment?” and selecting the category “Where are we Headed?” A copy of the master plan is shown at the bottom of that page and the residential lots are shown as small yellow structures bordering Main Street (starting at the far left of the picture), along relocated Jenny’s Street and along relocated Ice Plant Hollow Road. Some revisions to that master plan are being considered that will increase the amount of residential lots downtown. The residential lots are being sized to accommodate the types and sizes of homes currently existing in downtown Martin. All residential construction will conform to current building codes and the Martin Redevelopment Plan and Design Guidelines which can be seen on this web site by clicking on the category “Information Center” on the opening screen and selecting “Documents/Reports”. Question 3: A person asked about the future location of the carnival downtown when the project is completed. Answer: During construction of the project, certain tracts of land acquired for the project will be designated on the official city Plat Map for future commercial use. Prior to their development for commercial uses, the City with approval from the Corps of Engineers and Floyd County may use those areas for short-term temporary uses such as the carnival or other community celebrations. At the completion of the downtown redevelopment project, there will be two public open spaces available for community celebrations and festivals. One public square will be located in the Phase I area with the relocated Floyd County Alternative Learning School and relocated City Hall/Police Station and one public plaza will extend between Main Street and Beaver Creek in the residential area. Each of these areas can be used for public celebrations and festivals subject to the ordinances of the City of Martin. Question 4: A person asked where the new school will be located in the project area. Answer: The new Floyd County Alternative Learning School will be situated at a prominent location within the Phase I Redevelopment Site now being excavated by the Contractor. The new school site will be sufficiently large enough to accommodate the school building, car parking, school bus drop-off, and open areas for student and teacher uses. The new school will be designed according to the requirements set forth by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Floyd County Board of Education with input by the current school administration and staff. Upon completion of the Phase I site construction and subject to availability of Federal and sponsor funds, the new school construction will begin. Question 5: A person from the Dinwood area asked how the Town of Martin Project would affect their home along Beaver Creek. Answer: The downtown Martin construction will not significantly affect floodplain properties located upstream of the project area on Beaver Creek. The design of the engineered fill in downtown Martin is such that future flood waters will pass by the new site unimpeded and will not result in any substantial increases in flood velocities or flood heights in adjacent floodplain areas. Other than insignificant affects from future flooding, the redevelopment of downtown Martin should attract substantial new residential and commercial development to the town. These new developments should bring additional employment, shopping opportunities and tax revenue to the city and the community at large. Reductions in local flood damages should decrease municipal and county expenses for flood cleanup and maintenance thus liberating those emergency funds for other public uses in Martin and Floyd County. Question 6: A person has asked about the proposed newsletter for the Town of Martin project. Answer: At the beginning of the Town of Martin project and the creation of the Martin Redevelopment web site, it was proposed that a monthly newsletter would be forthcoming and would be sent to citizens who registered their names and addresses on the web site information center. Since the web site came online in September 2004, most of the Corps’ staff energy has been dedicated to supporting construction at the Phase I Redevelopment Site and Mayo Hollow spoil site, preliminary design in the Phase II and III project areas, and providing information for the web site itself. A newsletter format has been developed and information commonly presented in the web site will be formatted for the newsletter this summer. In order to accumulate sufficient information for each issue of the newsletter, we are now proposing that the newsletter be distributed to those registered on the web site on a quarterly basis (four times each year) with special issues for important events in the project development. Question 7: A local resident asked this question recently about the project: “Would like to know why there hasn’t been any movement on the commercial site for the past few weeks?” Answer: Construction has slowed at the Phase I redevelopment site for a couple of reasons. First, the major portion of the excavation had been completed and the subcontractor was demobilizing his excavation and hauling equipment from the site. The next phase of construction was the installation of utilities on the site (already in progress) and the construction of the retaining walls and access roadway. Some additional excavation is required at the site and that work will be initiated in mid-May. Second, the prime Contractor (Bush and Burchett) had submitted a Value Engineering Change Proposal (VECP) that would significantly reduce the cost of the two retaining walls that will flank the access road into the Phase I site. Since that proposal included significant changes in the design of the walls – walls that will be holding back enormous amounts of loose soil and rock and water seepage for many years, that review process required several months of design changes, engineering calculations and team meetings to assure that the new wall design would be structurally sound, visually pleasing and able to be constructed. The VECP review period delayed the start of wall construction originally planned to begin immediately after site excavation was completed. The construction of the redesigned retaining walls and other planned site improvements are expected to resume in mid-May. Question 8: A person recently commented on the changes in Martin and asked these questions: “Mom (85yo) was raised in the Martin area. We were back for a family visit last year and were shocked to see for the first time what was being done to Martin. Please advise if the town will resemble what it looked like before." (see picture "Phase I site looking down 1428 through the heart of Martin downtown (close up)" in the web site photo gallery) Also, she wonders if the funeral home just below all of the new work will flood. Answer: previous residents of Martin, KY who may be visiting, the recent physical and visual changes do appear to be very dramatic and perhaps shocking. The decision to provide flood protection for Martin, KY by relocating portions of the downtown to a higher elevation was a joint decision involving both the city residents and the Corps of Engineers. The extent and visual impact of the changes were discussed in numerous public forums before construction began. As construction on the Martin Redevelopment Project progresses, there will be many changes (some dramatic) in the look of the community - changes that will give the community hope and a future. The Photo Gallery includes a photo taken in March 2004 by a Corps employee prior to any construction or demolitions downtown, which provides a view of the downtown looking south down Main Street (Route 1428). The redeveloped Martin will look somewhat different. That same view will see Main Street and the land to either side in downtown Martin raised about 16 feet higher. Main Street itself will be wider with a center pedestrian island between the two traffic lanes in the downtown. New residential homes will be constructed along portions of both sides of Main Street with sidewalks, driveways and front yards. Many of the overhead utility lines shown in the March 2004 photo along Main Street will be relocated underground or placed out of sight along the edges of the new community – the visual clutter of telephone poles and wires so prevalent in the March 2004 photo will be absent from Main Street in the future. Hopefully, new commercial buildings will appear along Main Street in those tracts of land set aside for business development downtown. Other tracts of property will be available for churches and other non-residential buildings. The Methodist Church shown on the right in the March 2004 photo (see the steeple) was acquired by the Corps of Engineers and the church relocated outside of the downtown along Route 80 into a beautiful and spacious new building. The original Martin High School, converted into the Martin Alternative Learning School (not shown in the photo) will be visible at the far end of Main Street and prominently perched up on the Phase I Redevelopment Site according to the currently approved plan. The new Martin downtown will have the visual appeal of a flood-safe rural village with new homes and businesses. The second part of the question concerned the Nelson Frazier Funeral Home also located along Route 1428 just below the new Phase I Redevelopment Site. The funeral home will not be directly affected by the planned redevelopment of the downtown area. However, the funeral home would be subject to flooding by a recurrence of the April 1977 flood and therefore will be eligible to participate in Phase 4 of the project. Phase 4 includes voluntary nonstructural measures (floodproofing or acquisition) for all structures in the April 1977 flood zone in Martin. In the current plan, the funeral home has been determined to be eligible for acquisition. The owners of the funeral home may choose to have the structure purchased and reestablish their business at a flood-safe location or not participate in the voluntary program. Comment: A person from Rhode Island visited the web site and wished the citizens of Martin good luck with their new town. Response: Sir, on behalf of the people of Martin and the numerous Federal, State and local partners involved in the project, we thank you for the good wishes and hope that you will continue to visit the web site for more updates on the progress of the project. When the project is complete, you are invited to attend the dedication ceremony. Unfortunately we cannot pay your travel costs to the ceremony, but we’d be delighted to see you there. |
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