County Seeks Bids For Harvey Buyouts

It has taken five years, but Fayette County officials might be close to cleaning up the homes on Country Club Drive that flooded in Hurricane Harvey.

Last week Commissioners Court took a step toward demolishing the houses around Frisch Auf Country Club. They voted unanimously to authorize the county auditor to advertise a request for qualifications from demolition contractors.

After the storm in 2017, County leadership at the time decided to prevent the homeowners from making repairs and returning to their homes. Instead, the County formed a plan to buy out the properties and turn them into perpetual green space to prevent future development.

The contractor the County ultimately selects will be responsible for demolishing all structures on the properties and removal of hazardous material such as asbestos. They will also be responsible for removing any septic tanks, water wells, driveways and other improvements on the property. Finally, the contractor will be responsible for re-grading the site to match the surrounding terrain.

At their meeting last Thursday, March 31, Commissioners hired Botts Title Company to handle the closings for the buyout properties. County grant specialist Angela Hahn said Botts was the only company to submit a bid for the work. Botts will charge $400 per transaction plus associated fees of $10-26 per transaction.

In addition, Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize County Judge Joe Weber to sign all paperwork involving the property purchases.