The question seldom asked (and almost never answered) when home buyouts in flood zones are debated is: Why are the homes there in the first place? That aspect of the cost of buyouts was not adequately addressed during a sometimes contentious discussion this week among Clay County commissioners and homeowners in the Crestwood neighborhood, where homes are threatened by the slumping banks of the Red River.
Crestwood is not a new development. It was established just south of 60th Avenue South (52nd Avenue South on the Fargo side of the river) years ago. Most homes were built far enough away from the river to be clear of flooding most of the time. Slumping has accelerated as the Red experienced higher and more frequent flooding in the past 10 years or so.
Homeowners in the neighborhood are seeking buyouts that would be paid by a combination of Clay County and state of Minnesota funds. The county wants to pay only 87.5 percent of a property's value; some homeowners asked the county to go to at least 89.5 percent of value. County commissioners, citing financial restraints, said no.
Which prompts the initial question: Why are the homes there in the first place? They are there for the same reasons any home is built anywhere in the metro area.
First, the river location is beautiful. That's the primary reason so many homes have been built along the Red.
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Second, not a single home could have been built in what now have become buyout zones without the routine approvals of units of local government. That is, no residential structure could have been built in Crestwood without a building permit and all that a permit entails. The tract had to be zoned for homes, and that's a function of local government.
Finally, the private sector - builders, home insurers and mortgage lenders - had to be on board. Take one of them out of the river development equation, and there are no homes along the flood-prone, now-slumping river.
So whatever risk the homeowner might have taken by building or buying a home along the river, the sense of risk was ameliorated by official approvals and eager builders, real estate agents, insurers and lenders.
In that historical context, it's reasonable to conclude that Clay County has a bigger buyout responsibility than 87.5 percent of a home's value.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board.
