Times Call tells MHProNews that floodwaters overwhelmed the Riverbend community last fall, maiming two houses and 30 mobile or manufactured homes, shattering a nearly half-century old community.
Riverbend resident Risa Vandenbos said: “To be honest, I made peace with losing everything the night of the flood, what else could I do at that point.”
Property owners Mike Whipp and wife Betsy Burton also lost their home in the flood. Whipp said: “Within 24 or 48 hours after the flood, it became clear in my mind that it was going to be impossible to mitigate and raise the trailers given how far below flood plain this property is.”
They Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) – a non-profit organization in Lyons – hired a housing advocated and two manufactured home experts.
LEAF co-founder Emily Flemming, said: “The new employees are intended to support the rebuilding efforts of the town and other groups, not to duplicate efforts.”
Flood rebuilding advocate Jonathan Diller’s work has included helping residents get building permits and approvals, plus coordinating with insurance companies, Boulder County and the town of Lyons. Diller says: “My goal is to get as many homeowners as possible to have their building permits approved by the time that my contract runs out in March.
Manufactured housing analysts Andy Rumbach and Brandon Gossard who were on the job for only a week were busy looking at possible scenarios for a replacement manufactured home neighborhood in Lyons.
The Lyon’s Board of Trustees is awaiting an analysis on 3 potential sites for placement of replacement housing. A prior report by the Daily Business News on this story is linked here.##
(Photo Credit: Matthew Jonas/Longmont Times-Call)
