Flooding Update

Post date: Oct 30, 2014 4:19:46 AM

Hi,

I am Tom Baechle, a resident for the last 21 years or so on Lamar up near Rockress Court and I 

was recently elected to serve on the SFVNA Board of Directors with the main, initial responsibility 

to represent them on the Flooding/Sedimentation/Erosion (FSE) Committee. I apologize if you 

received this letter multiple times as we are in the process of developing a composite email list 

for everyone in Santa Fe Village that was affected by Flooding, Sedimentation or Erosion.

I am writing to request help from my neighbors to provide some follow up related to water 

damage to the property of residents of Santa Fe Village. Over the last year or so we have had 

major flooding of homes, erosion channels growing six to eight feet deep behind homes, and 

property being actively undermined by the storm water flowing in our arroyos. Other residents 

may see increasing amounts of water flowing and/ or a change of course of nearby arroyos.The 

SFVNA Board has asked me to gather a group of residents who can continue to monitor 

drainage patterns, identify potential drainage problems and communicate that information with 

their neighbors and the Neighborhood Association Board.

We've also been promised some help by outside governmental agencies and elected 

officials. We would have the assistance and support of the SFVNA to work with them, if we 

wished.

Every property in Santa Fe Village is impacted by the recent storm water drainage problems. 

Even if your property is not directly impacted by the storm water drainage, these issues can 

directly affect the property valuations of homes in our community.

To adequately and accurately represent the different perspectives of our water problems, I 

would like to have several volunteers from areas that:

- Have been flooded in the past,

- Are experiencing active erosion behind their homes or undermining of their property lines,

- Have an arroyo near their home that may have more water diverted into it in the future and

- Residents who do not abut drainage areas, but have an interest in our community.

With enough community investment and active participation, time commitments could be 

minimal. Much of the coordination could be done on line or by phone.

I have been visiting some neighbors near by me to tell them about this project. I would 

encourage you to consider being active with this project. To find out more, you can contact me 

at sfvna2014@gmail.com. At a minimum, since every resident is not connected to one of our 

internet lists, please speak to neighbors on either side of you or across your street and tell them 

about this effort. Give them a copy of this email or refer them to me.

Thank you very much,

Tom Baechle