Residents at Chapel Hill’s Camelot Village Apartments are yet again dealing with flood damage.
Twenty units at the apartment complex were damaged during the flooding on December 30, according to Don Willhoit president of the homeowners association. Thirty-four residents voluntarily evacuated from their apartments that day.
Unused sandbags are kept outside of an apartment at Camelot Village in Chapel Hill. Photo via Blake Hodge
In a letter to the Mayor and Town Council, Willhoit outlined the damage to the apartment complex, which has been affected by flooding several times in the past.
The apartment complex was previously affected in 2008 when 21 units were damaged, and again in June of 2013 in flooding that impacted 72 units.
The Camelot Village Apartments are located adjacent to Bolin Creek, which is prone to overflowing with heavy rains.
Many of the apartment buildings are located feet from running water.
In the letter Willhoit said there are several things that could be done to reduce the flooding. Willhoit said that the area between Fordham Street and Franklin Street, where the apartment is located, retains water and aggravates the flooding during periods of high rain.
The creek runs very close to apartments at Camelot Village in Chapel Hill. Photo via Blake Hodge.
Willhoit said he is willing to work with the town to prevent flooding in the future. He also said he is interested in selling the buildings to the town if the funds became available.
Here is the full letter Willhoit sent to the Chapel Hill Town Council:
Dear Mayor and Council,
For the record, I would like to correct some misinformation in the media following the recent flooding at Camelot Village.
1. Number of units affected: July 2000, 60 of 76 ground-level units (there are 40 second floor units, for a total of 116); October 2008, 21 units; June 2013, 72 units; December 2015, 20 units.
2. Following the 2013 flood, with the encouragement of Matt Sullivan, we contacted the owners of units in buildings B, K, and J (those affected by the 2008 flood) and all but 2 owners in building B indicated a willingness to work with the Town in a buy-out. There are several issues that need to be discussed and we are willing to negotiate with the Town on the acquisition of these buildings when funds are available.
3. There are several things that could be done to mitigate the flooding at Camelot Village. A berm could help prevent water from cascading against the B building which is usually the first to be affected. When Bolin Creek emerges from the direction of the Town’s recreation center, the stream bed turns but flood waters tend to continue straight for building B.
4. During the floods of 2013 and 2015, Camelot Village management observed water flowing toward Camelot Village from the Bolinwood area, suggesting that there are down-stream impediments. The culverts under Fordham Blvd are not of sufficient capacity to handle the stream flow during flood conditions. During the June, 2013 storm, the south-bound lane of Fordham was flooded. Thus, the area from Fordham back to Franklin Street serves as a retention basin, aggravating the flooding at Camelot Village and other properties in the area.
We are very interested in working with the Town on means of mitigating flood impacts and pursuing an equitable buy-out of the most affected buildings.
Sincerely,
Don Willhoit, President
Camelot Village Homeowners Association
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