CASE STUDY 20 — Hometown Bank Galveston, TX | Class A Bank Replacement | Civil Engineering & Floodplain Design

PROJECT OVERVIEW
JRH Engineering provided complete civil engineering design for the demolition of an existing bank and construction of a new Class A building in Galveston, Texas. The coastal site required compliance with floodplain elevation mandates that significantly raised the finished floor — necessitating a full redesign of the drive-through configuration. JRH eliminated the need for a traditional detention pond entirely by designing the site with permeable paving, qualifying for a detention exemption and delivering a cleaner, faster approval with the City of Galveston.

AT A GLANCE

Site Civil Design

● Full site civil design for demolition and new Class A bank construction

● Permeable paving specified across the site — qualifying the development for a detention exemption under City of Galveston criteria

● Floodplain elevation mandate required raising the finished floor significantly — drive-through configuration redesigned to accommodate the elevated floor while maintaining functional vehicle access

● All floodplain and elevation challenges resolved in design before submittal — clean first submission to city

Utility Infrastructure

● Water and sanitary connected to City of Galveston municipal system

● Utility connections designed and coordinated concurrently with site and floodplain design

Stormwater & Drainage

● Permeable paving selected as the drainage solution — stormwater infiltrates through the paving surface, eliminating surface runoff and qualifying the site for a detention exemption

● Traditional detention pond eliminated entirely — no pond design, no pond construction, no pond permitting

● City of Galveston drainage approval secured through permeable paving exemption

Permitting & Agency Coordination

● City of Galveston permitting streamlined by eliminating detention from the scope — fewer design elements, simpler permit package

● Floodplain elevation and drive-through redesign resolved before submittal — no mid-review surprises

● Complete submission package on first submittal

THE CHALLENGE
Coastal Galveston floodplain requirements are among the most demanding in Texas. Raising the finished floor to meet Base Flood Elevation mandates is not optional — but it creates real design challenges for a bank drive-through, where the grade relationship between the parking lot, drive-through lanes, and the building entrance has to work for customers and vehicles. On top of the elevation challenge, the site needed a detention solution in a location where a traditional pond would consume valuable commercial land.

JRH's Approach
JRH identified permeable paving as the answer to the detention problem — by using permeable paving across the site, stormwater infiltrates on-site rather than running off, qualifying the development for a City of Galveston detention exemption. No pond. No pond permitting. No pond construction cost. The elevated finished floor and drive-through redesign were resolved in the design phase before the first submittal, so the city received a complete, conflict-free package.

The Result
A fully permitted Class A bank with no detention pond — and a drive-through that works at the elevated finished floor required by Galveston's coastal floodplain regulations.

RESULTS

● Detention pond eliminated through permeable paving — City of Galveston detention exemption qualified and approved

● Coastal floodplain elevation requirements met — finished floor raised to BFE with drive-through reconfigured in design

● Clean first submission to City of Galveston — all elevation and drainage challenges resolved before submittal