GRAND RAPIDS,Mich.- The neighborhood on Tremont Boulevard used to have 14 homes, but after Monday, there will only be five left.
Homeowners say whenever there is flash flooding, the storm sewers overflow and leave water that is sometimes waist-deep. They have asked Kent County officials for help to fix the problem and have been working on it for years. The county says after looking at 10 or 12 options, applying for a grant from FEMA and tearing down the neighborhood to create green space was the most financially viable solution.
The grant from FEMA covers $850,000 dollars of the $1.2 million total. Officials say they looked at replacing the pipes in the neighborhood from the 1950s and others but the costs of those projects would easily be between $5 and $10 million dollars.
Homeowners say the uncertainty of the green space and what could happen in the future has them the most nervous.
“We don’t know how this is going to affect our property values” said resident Ed Kettle.
The demolition is expected to begin on Monday and could last about three weeks.
