LANSING, Mich — A jogger trots alongside a bakery boxed in by floods on Kalamazoo and Homer Streets in Lansing where water has covered roads for the second week in a row.
- Homer Street has flooded twice in two weeks, forcing road closures and business impacts.
- Ingham County Drain Commissioner says businesses are in a floodway and will "always be wet".
- Business owners argue flooding patterns have changed since recent development projects.
WATCH: LANSING BUSINESS OWNERS DEMAND FLOOD SOLUTIONS FROM OFFICIALS
Jeffrey Johnson, co-owner of Bake N' Cakes, has operated his business since 1983. In those 43 years Johnson says he experienced major flooding just once, until recently.
"As soon as they shut that highway down, my business cuts in about half," Johnson said, referring to the closure of the U.S. 127 north exit ramp to Kalamazoo Street that segues into Homer Street.
One of Johnson's employees captured video showing water covering Homer Street on April 6th. Eleven days and another round of rain later, floods returned, along with road closures and detours.
WATCH: LOOKING GLASS RIVER FLOODING THREATENS DEWITT HOMES AS WATER RISES
The business owner insists this isn't the same flooding pattern he's seen historically.
"We're looking at a drain problem," Johnson said. "We know the characteristics of the area. There's obviously a problem and they need to figure out what it is and get the thing situated and fixed."
Ingham County Drain Commissioner Patrick Lindemann, who has held the position since 1993, bluntly assessed the situation.
"They're going to be wet," Lindemann said. "Come hell or high water they're going to be wet."
WATCH: AS FLOODING CONCERNS RETURN TO MID-MICHIGAN, OFFICIALS ARE SHARING SAFETY REMINDERS
Lindemann maintains that businesses are located in a floodway — an area where water actively flows during flood events — and will always experience flooding.
Lindemann says the only options for businesses in that area are to invest in an expensive levee systems or relocate.
"They can complain about it. They can hate me. They can say everything bad about me. But in the end, they're going to get wet," Lindemann said.
The drain commissioner explained that in a 100-year flood event, buildings in the area would be "at least 15 feet underwater."
WATCH: FLOODING CLOSES ROADS IN MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP
Tim Daman, president of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, called Lindemann's response "unacceptable".
Daman sent a letter to the county board of commissioners hoping to raise awareness and create collaboration between officials and affected businesses.
"These are longstanding businesses and small businesses in our region and they deserve a little bit more from our elected officials than just saying that they should you know relocate out of the Red Cedar District," Daman said.
WATCH: PROPERTY OWNER HIT WITH $8K FLOOD BILL AS LANSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SITS UNUSED
The area includes businesses that have operated for decades, including ACE Cleaning & Restoration (est. 1950), and the Philly Steakhouse (est. 1967).
Lindemann emphasized that the recently completed Montgomery Drain project was designed for pollution abatement, not flood elimination.
"I can't stop the river, neither can the city, nor can Mr. Daman, nor can [the] EPA, nor can... the state. They can't. It's impossible to stop that water from coming in," Lindemann said.
Johnson argues the flooding patterns have changed since recent development in the former Red Cedar Golf Course area, where ground that once absorbed water is now covered with asphalt and concrete.
WATCH: EAST LANSING NEIGHBORS STILL FEELING THE IMPACTS OF SATURDAY'S FLOODS
"But you can't just start dumping water into a place that didn't used to be there and tell people that they should leave," Johnson said. "I don't think that's the proper attitude. I think it's let's get together and figure out the problem."
Public Services Director Andy Kilpatrick says crews are pumping water to the river and the city's pump station, with work expected to continue through Tuesday.
"We appreciate that but I think they need to look at the situation, figure out what's going on and come up with some kind of a solution," Johnson said.
"This water really shouldn't be here right now. At all."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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