Construction halted for Plains church expansion

Harvest Community Church of God's building plans for a basement under the youth group building came to a halt. Due to regulations that have been established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it was discovered the property is in the floodplain. Construction is not up to code, according to Ron Warren from Rocky Mountain Surveying, who did the initial survey. Three weeks after the concrete forms were set up, contractor Josh Weedeman was told that he had to stop.

"There is nothing you can do," council member John Sheridan said when he saw that the permit was for a foundation and did not meet FEMA code. Interim Mayor Chris Allen gave Weedeman the permit to build the foundation. Weedeman said that Warren was unaware of what the church had planned when he did the survey and initially okayed the plan. "He thought we were going to put in a parking lot instead of a foundation," Weedeman said and added that he himself was not aware of the floodplain. The City failed to contact Weedeman to let him know that the permit had been pulled, he stated. "There wasn't a letter sent or a phone call."

The City of Plains issued the church the permit without knowledge of FEMA regulations or that the floodplain affected that area. Surrounding properties that have a basement have been grandfathered in and are not required to make any changes. Sheridan, who has knowledge of the policies regarding a 100-year floodplain, said at the council meeting last week that the situation is similar to placing a body in a bathtub full of water. If a flood were to occur the water would be displaced to surrounding properties. Even with a pump to remove water from flooding the structure, that water would go to the other properties. The chances of flooding in a 100-year floodplain are 1% for any given year, according to Bruce Newton from the city's Public Works Department. After the city council meeting last week, Weedeman was hoping for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) from FEMA to continue the project. The property that is in violation faces Second Street, where the front portion of the basement would be below the allowed elevation.

At a special meeting last Friday, the Plains City Council met with Weedeman and seven church members, along with a representative from the DNRC office in Missoula. The DNRC representative said that the church can continue with their plans if they move the foundation back out of the floodplain. He said it would take over 20 years to get approval from FEMA with a new zoning map, according to Weedeman

Weedeman said they will need to restore the dirt and compact it to meet specifications. The foundation would have to be moved back farther into the church parking lot area, on First Street, for the youth group building to be placed on it. This would create new issues for the church to deal with regarding safety as stairs would need to be added without the planned daylight basement.

"I don't think it was anyone's full intention to stop our project," Weedeman said. The survey was done, permits were granted and then taken away after thousands of dollars were spent on the concrete, he added. Now the church has to rethink their plan and decide how they can effectively move forward with enlarging their youth group building, he concluded.

According to Fire Chief Anthony Young, there are 50 members of the youth group that meets regularly in the building. Weededman said that other people use that building as well. Elderly church members go there. Stairs would not be as safe for them.