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Monroe Heights residents urge Riviera Beach to halt encroachment, staff says plats show easement intact
Summary
Residents from Monroe Heights told council that a developer removed a canal, altered easements, and used substandard materials; city staff said plats and site plans show the 5‑foot utility easement remains with homeowners and that staff found no code violations but will continue enforcement and facilitation.
Multiple residents told the Riviera Beach City Council on Aug. 6 that recent development activity in Monroe Heights removed a canal used for neighborhood drainage, redefined easement areas, and placed construction and a privacy wall too close to backyards. Speakers described compromised flood mitigation and alleged the city had allowed a developer to acquire or reconfigure public easement land in ways that harm homeowners.
"Private homeowners are being stripped of their property under the guise of a public utility easement," resident Lynn Hubbard said, asking the council to intervene and reverse approvals or require developer remediation.
Clarence Sermons, director of development services, told the council staff conducted multiple site visits and an exhaustive review of historic plats and replats filed in the county courthouse. He said those legal plats showed no exchanges of property from residents to the developer or to the city; the five‑foot utility easement at the rear of the properties remains, he said, and the developer’s work is consistent with the approved site plan.
Sermons said staff met with residents more than once, met with the developer, and prepared a report of findings. He acknowledged residents’ concerns about wall placement and buffer distances and said staff would continue inspecting the project and would provide the approved site plan and related documentation to residents on request.
Council members urged staff to request title reports from homeowners and to pursue negotiation with the developer about additional buffering, landscaping, or moving the privacy wall, noting that small design changes can reduce impacts. City manager Jonathan Evans said staff would meet again with the developer, with legal counsel available, to explore amicable adjustments and will report back to the board.
What’s next: Staff will distribute the approved site plan and site documentation to residents, continue monitoring construction for code compliance, and pursue discussions with the developer about additional landscaping and buffer options. Council requested title documentation from homeowners and staff follow up.
