Guidelines for Rebuilding Montecito

Source: County of Santa Barbara

A roadmap for rebuilding in Montecito’s 1/9 Debris Flow areas gained County approval Tuesday, March 13, 2018 when the Board of Supervisors approved a report on the debris flow recovery effort.

“We know many property owners are anxious to move forward with rebuilding,” said Matt Pontes, Director of Recovery for the County of Santa Barbara.  “But the debris flow created unique challenges in Montecito that we are working aggressively to resolve.”

The new Guidance to Property Owners details two significant efforts underway by FEMA and the County and provides guidance to property owners about how and when the worst hit areas will be able to begin rebuilding.

Because the debris flow dislodged many survey markers and other landmarks, making it impossible to identify many property lines without professional surveys, the County will work with outside surveyors to reestablish survey markers along public rights-of-way.

In addition, creek channels and land elevations have changed throughout the debris flow area, which means existing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps are no longer accurate.  County staff is working with FEMA on interim flood hazard/recovery mapping to assess where and how high water and debris is predicted to flow in the future.

The work highlighted above is expected to take a minimum of three months.  Until it is completed, the County is advising property owners to temporarily delay making any significant expenditures on design plans so their decisions and permit applications can be informed by this work.

“We sympathize with property owners and understand how hard it is to wait at a time like this,” said Pontes.  “The survey, engineering and mapping that we are doing throughout the debris flow area will significantly reduce the costs that individual homeowners would incur if they were taking on these tasks on their own.

“However, if property owners want to move ahead on their own, they can work with their case manager to find out what professional studies they would need,” he added.

In the meantime, the County has already assigned case managers to each impacted property, and property owners are advised to contact their case manager, by calling (805) 568-2090.

Questions and Answers About Rebuilding in the Debris Flow Area

The County has outlined the initial steps for rebuilding in the Montecito 1/9 Debris Flow areas.  Property owners are advised to meet with their case managers now, and to hold off making any significant expenditures on design plans so their decisions and permit applications can be informed by critical survey work, engineering and mapping work studies that will take a minimum of three months. 

Why can’t I begin rebuilding right now?
Santa Barbara County is doing everything it can to make sure rebuilding can happen as quickly as possible, but the debris flow created unique challenges. 

Because the debris flow dislodged many survey markers and other landmarks, making it impossible to identify property lines without a licensed surveyor, the County will work with outside surveyors to reestablish survey markers along public rights-of-way.

Creek channels and land elevations have changed throughout the debris flow area, which means existing FEMA maps are no longer accurate.  County staff is working with FEMA on interim flood hazard/recovery mapping analyses to assess where water and debris will flow in the future.

How long will the County work take?
Land surveys, engineering studies and interim flood hazard/recovery mapping should be completed by mid-June.

Do I have to wait until this work is completed to start my re-design work?
The County advises property owners to delay making any significant expenditures on design plans so their decisions and permit applications can be informed by this work.  The survey, engineering, and mapping work that the County is doing throughout the debris flow area will significantly reduce the costs that individual homeowners would incur if they were to take on these tasks on their own.
 
If I don’t want to wait, what should I do?
For those property owners who choose not to wait, the County recommends meeting with your Planning and Development case manager and Flood Control staff upfront to determine the submittal requirements to facilitate the permit review process.

What will I have to provide if I want to move forward?
The requirements for each property will be different, but they may include:

• Current topographic survey of project site

• Property line survey

• Hydrologic analyses of the project site to reflect post-burn (Thomas) conditions.  Analysis should utilize and build upon the information in two technical reports: the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team report and the Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) report, which also includes the work of the SoCal Watershed Task Force.

• Calculation of the current base flood elevations, inundation limits and possibly the floodway

• Key design elements include channel geomorphology, foundation considerations, and hydraulic capacity.

• Preparation of plans may require utilization of professionals with expertise in geotechnical, civil and hydraulic engineering, soil erosion, hydrology, and engineering geology