Riviera Beach residents ask city to halt canal work they say is undermining easement foundations

Dozens of homeowners along a Riviera Beach canal told the City Council they want an immediate stop-work order after contractors excavated beneath a five-foot utility easement behind homes, causing vibration and what residents described as foundation damage. The residents said the work has removed earth under the easement that runs behind houses on R Avenue and Blue Heron, producing “vibration coming through our homes” and visible excavation that they fear will cause irreversible property damage. “They started working down in the canal…they were digging out the foundation of the easement, and you could feel the vibration coming through our homes,” one resident said during the council’s public comment period. The complaint matters to the neighborhood because the speakers said multiple homes face immediate risk: “There are at least 30 or 40 homes that sit on that canal,” a resident said, and homeowners reported contacting the city and retaining counsel to seek an injunction. City Manager Jonathan Evans told the council he received an email about the encroachment at 2:05 p.m. the day of the meeting and that he will personally visit the site the following day. “And if there’s any concerns that are are present, I will work with the building official and the team to, see if we have to stop the work, then we’ll stop the work,” Evans said. He also promised to update the council on next steps. Council members did not take a formal vote during the meeting to impose a stop-work order. The residents said they had sent multiple emails to the city and were prepared to pursue legal action if the work continued. The situation is currently a citizen complaint and an administrative follow-up: the manager pledged on-the-ground inspection and coordination with the building official, and residents asked the council to intervene quickly to prevent further damage. City staff did not present documentation at the meeting showing permit status, contractor identity, or any county or state authorizations for canal work; those details were requested by residents and will be part of the city manager’s follow-up.