Richmond allocates $500K to address flooding in Parchester Village

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allocate $500,000 to address persistent flooding in Parchester Village, a problem residents say has plagued the community for years.

The funding, which will be reallocated from the Booker T. Anderson Community Center improvement project, is intended to support an initial study and potential short-term mitigation measures. The council also directed city staff to present a comprehensive plan for addressing the flooding before the conclusion of the next fiscal year’s budget cycle.

The move comes after years of complaints from Parchester Village residents, who say heavy rains routinely leave their streets impassable, creating hazardous conditions for pedestrians and drivers. Councilmember Cesar Zepeda, whose district includes Parchester Village, said the issue has long been overlooked because of the neighborhood’s low voter concentration and historical lack of direct council representation.

“This community, when it rains, cannot safely get in or out of their own neighborhood,” Zepeda said.

The flooding hasn’t been addressed because there has never been a council member who has directly worked in the Parchester community and cares for that community, according to Zepeda.

“Everyone else has always bypassed it. Now we have a council that does care, and we need to appropriate the right funding for a community that is in dire need,” Zepeda said.

City Manager Shasa Curl acknowledged community concerns and proposed developing a study session presentation to investigate potential solutions for flooding in Parchester Village.

“That way, we don’t rush to a solution without everyone having the same understanding. What if we just put a pump, and that doesn’t work? What if the community doesn’t want the pump? What if there’s new technology we haven’t considered? This needs to be a transparent process so that the community can be present and engaged in the solution,” Curl said.

Public Works officials estimated that an engineering study to assess long-term solutions would cost between $200,000 and $300,000. However, staffing shortages in the city’s water resources recovery division may delay immediate action.

With the funding now approved, the council will determine specific allocations in the upcoming 2025-26 budget process to ensure further work on the project.

Public Works Director Daniel Chavarria said the flooding problem in Parchester has existed for 50 years, which suggests there is no simple solution. 

“What we need is an engineering analysis that looks at all the options and determines if something like a pump station is actually the right answer,” Chavarria said. “Right now, we’re dealing with rough estimates of $4 million, $10 million, maybe $15 million. So that tells us we need a more detailed analysis."

Councilmember Doria Robinson questioned how the flooding could go unaddressed for 50 years and made a motion to withhold $500,000 from the Booker T. Anderson Community Center Phase 3 project and use it to begin addressing the Parchester Village flooding problem.

“Then, in the next fiscal year’s budget, we allocate funds to replace that $500,000 for BTA so that the community center still gets the funding it needs,” Robinson said. “This is about putting real money behind solving a problem that has been ignored for 50 years. We need to start now.”

Robinson said that the City Council’s job is to review the budget and ask for edits if it doesn’t align with community values.

“We have to start somewhere,” Robinson said. “The residents of Parchester Village have waited long enough.”

Richmond’s efforts to address Parchester Village’s flooding crisis are part of a broader push for climate resilience. In addition to the city's addressing street flooding, other agencies are investing in long-term flood protection, including the North Richmond Shoreline Living Levee Project.

In May 2024, the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority awarded $1.85 million to the West County Wastewater District (WCWD) to design a 0.65-mile living levee and restore seven acres of tidal marsh. This project will protect critical infrastructure, such as WCWD’s treatment plant, using gradual, vegetated slopes that enhance flood resilience and habitat restoration. Offshore measures, including oyster reefs and eelgrass beds, will help stabilize the shoreline.

These efforts align with regional initiatives like the North Richmond Shoreline Community Vision Project, which promotes nature-based solutions for vulnerable communities.

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