How Austin, Texas allows real estate development to build in floodplains.

Over the years, City of Austin has allowed real estate development to build housing located in flood plains which is a mistake on the City of Austin’s part. Neighborhoods such as Onion Creek, Yarrabee Bend, Timber Creek, Jet Lane, Rainey Street, Onion Creek Plantations, Rio Lado, Austin Pecan Trailer Park, and Williamson Creek are prime examples of bad planning and the City of Austin allowing real estate development to build housing inside floodplains.

For example…

In 1971, land was sold for the Austin Pecan Trailer Park to begin allowing home owners who had trailers to move in. 1972 is when the reception office was built as a single story unit with 5 single rooms with a reception desk, a supply closet for maintenance supplies, storage a supply closet for maintenance storage, and a garage. Years of operation for the Austin Pecan Trailer Park were from 1972 to 2008.

Now the Austin Pecan Trailer Park was located inside a 25 year floodplain. It would flood there every 2 years. Trailers would be wiped out clean as a result from constant flooding. Mold grow inside these trailers after flooding happened. Vegetation surrounding the property made it difficult to retrieve personal belongings.

As a result of constant flooding with the trailer park being located in a flood plain, in 2001, City of Austin bought out the land property where trailers once resided. City of Austin developed a flood buyout plan It took a total of 4 years from 2001 to 2005 for the City of Austin to buy out all the homeowners land plots for which their trailers were located on. By 2008, all of the former Austin Pecan Trailer Park property was abandoned. To this day, only a building for the reception office, roof provision for where mailboxes were, and a shed for maintenance storage remain.

To this day, only a building for the reception office, roof provision for where mailboxes were, and a shed for maintenance storage remain. The building for the reception office was still remains extant and a shed for maintenance storage remains extant. Trailers are no longer extant.

Over the past 10 years, the former Austin Pecan Trailer Park property for illegal dumping where citizens from Austin and Travis County would dump their unwanted items, trash, debris, auto parts, plywood, sheet metal, beer cans, and clothing. The City of Austin got contractors to haul in large rectangular limestone bricks to prevent access for illegal dumping.