CONWAY — One year to the day after the flood waters of Tropical Storm Irene tore through the Conway neighborhood of Transvale Acres, town manager Earl Sires and Fire Chief Steve Solomon toured the Saco River community with staff from the Community Development Finance Authority.

The town has applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for $266,342 to supplement a FEMA property acquisition project grant for approximately $800,000. Solomon said the town expects to hear in October whether the FEMA grant is approved. It has been ranked second in the state for that program, and is now being studied by FEMA for technical issues.

Together, the funds would allow the town to buy out about 14 properties that were damaged in the flash-flooding on Aug. 28, 2011, from Tropical Storm Irene. The homes were year-round residences, either owner-occupied or rentals.

Solomon, who also serves as the town’s emergency management director, drove George Hunton and Meena Gyawali, Community Development Finance Authority portfolio managers, and Donna Lane, CDFA consultant, and Sires through the narrow dirt roads of the development. Solomon said the lower section of the development, where only campsites are allowed, floods frequently, and has done so six times since Irene.

The middle section, while not as frequently flooded, gets cut off by Moat Brook, which swells over its banks when the river backs up into it.

The Transvale Acres owners participating in the buyout program chose to do so, and can opt out at any time. To qualify for the program, the building had to be substantially damaged. Sires said if someone does opt out, then the clock starts clicking for the owner to either repair the property or demolish it within a year. That clock has stopped for those in the buyout program.

For those who did not opt in, or did not qualify, and who have not been able to repair their property to the stricter floodplain standards, the time is up. Some of the properties are now completely cleared, while others show signs of partial demolition.

Sires and Solomon pointed out several properties that are involved in legal action, including camping pavilions that are not permitted in the campsite section.

Ten projects from towns around the state have been submitted for the 2012 CDBG Second Round of Housing and Public Facilities grants. The requested amount is over $4.6 million. George Hunton said there is $2.7 million available in this round. The projects are not scored yet, and the purpose of the tour on Tuesday was to give the staff a better understanding of the Conway project.

Before the tour, the group met in Sires’ office. At that meeting, Solomon pointed to lines delineating the flood plain and the floodway sections on the property map, explaining, “Your feet get wet here, you get washed down the river there.”

When all the flood plain/floodway building issues are resolved, Solomon said, “We’re going to make sure our ordinances are followed.”