Two vacant lots between Caldis and Franklin streets in Whiteville may become a retention pond.
Amber Ransom Leonard, Glenda Holt Ransom and Timmy Ransom are requesting that the city of Whiteville consider acquiring 152 and 154 Caldis Street.
Whiteville City Manager Darren Currie said the owners have not said whether they wish to donate the property to the city or if they are asking the city to buy the land.
The property was once home to a small engine repair shop and a skating rink. The rink was demolished years ago, and the brick shop has been closed since before Hurricane Matthew flooded the area in 2016.
The proposal from the two families suggests that the properties – which cannot be easily redeveloped due to flooding – could be converted into a stormwater retention pond to help control flooding downtown. The Caldis Street properties are between the Madison Street Park project and Franklin Street, and a canal on the land flows into Soules Swamp via a large culvert under Franklin.
Because of their location in the floodplain, any construction in the area would have to raised at least nine feet above ground level.
The lots are contiguous to the Madison Street Park project and city-owned land at 160 Caldis Street. The park, which is being developed using state funds and donations, is being built on a former shopping center that also could not be redeveloped due to flooding.
The property is within the city’s 100 year floodplain, and was underwater during the Oct. 12 rain event. The proposal says that the property could retain “30-40 acre-feet of floodwater”, providing an outlet for the water that could then be released into Soules. It is one of the lowest spots in the city that drains into Soules Swamp.
The council meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at city Hall. The meeting is open to the public and can be viewed online via the city website, whitevillenc.gov.
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