Couple sell flood-plagued home to city

After being inundated by a four-inch rainfall, homeowers agree to move

The thought of rain soon shouldn’t cause Estalene Lathrom so much worry.

City officials are in the process of buying Estalene and Loman Lathrom’s home at 524 N. Seventh Street after the house was inundated with water following a four-inch rainstorm this summer.

“It has been pretty tough living here,” Estalene Lathrom said. “You had to worry every time it rained because you never knew what was going to happen.”

City Manager Mike Wildgen said the city decided to buy the property for $138,000 because the home was in a spot likely to flood during significant rains.

“They’re kind of in a bowl up there,” Wildgen said. “Nothing drains fast out of North Lawrence anyway, but when it gets to their property, it really goes slow.”

In August, the water didn’t go much of anywhere except into the Lathrom’s living room, bedroom and kitchen. The interior of the house was immersed in about an inch of water, ruining carpet and creating an explosion of mold on the walls and furniture.

Loman Lathrom said increased development in North Lawrence had made the situation worse. More rooftops, concrete and other impervious surfaces have made flooding at his property more likely, he said.

Wildgen said the purchase was justified because it would help alleviate flooding in the entire area. The city will demolish the house and regrade the property to temporarily hold water during heavy rainstorms.

“It was more reasonable to acquire the property than to try to make a tube or some other stormwater improvement to direct the water around the property,” Wildgen said.

Wildgen said the city had purchased “dozens” of other similar properties over the last 20 years to help prevent flooding problems. In the 1970s, the city bought several homes in the Brook Creek Neighborhood and turned the property into a park. The city also bought several lots that were slated for home construction in the area that is now Naismith Valley Park.

The city requires each property it purchases to be appraised by an independent appraiser. Wildgen said $138,000 represented a fair market value, but the purchase price was significantly higher than the approximately $83,000 the county appraiser has the property valued at for tax purposes.

The city attempted to buy the Lathroms’ property after the 1993 floods, but was unable to reach an agreement on the price.

Estalene Lathrom said she was pleased that the ordeal was coming to an end, although she has mixed emotions about leaving her home of the last 22 years. The couple has until June to move.

“I’m nervous about the move, but the flooding had gotten to the point that you just wanted to throw up your hands,” Estalene Lathrom said.