Residents press Fort Pierce on flooding and wildlife after Savannah Preserve clearing; developer and staff defend permits

The City of Fort Pierce heard urgent complaints from High Point and Gator Trace residents on March 16 after recent clearing and grading at the Savannah Preserve development allegedly worsened flooding, brought hogs onto neighboring properties and raised concerns about the removal of trees and gopher tortoises.

Residents including Phyllis Hankerson and Julie Moore told the commission that a retaining wall and other buffers were removed and that new and expanded standing water has saturated yards that previously drained normally. ‘‘The berm is doing nothing,’’ one resident said, asking the city to require corrective work. Another speaker said contractors had started work before permitted hours and that pictures and complaints had not produced sustained enforcement.

Deputy City Manager Camille Wallace and Planning Director Kevin Freeman reviewed the project history: the subdivision was reviewed and approved by the Planning Board and the City Commission in 2022–2025 with conditions addressing drainage, and the developer subsequently filed amendments for model homes and amenity placement. Paul Thomas, the city building official, said a stop-work order was issued March 7, 2024 after horizontal site work began before permits were issued; after permits were issued in April 2024, site work legally resumed. Thomas described the stop-work process and fees that can be applied when work starts without approvals.

City engineering staff and the developer described the stormwater plan. City engineer Dana Rutherford told the commission the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) inspected the site after complaints in October 2024, issued a violation to the developer on Oct. 25, 2024, and later conducted follow-ups; the developer corrected illicit discharges and paid associated fees, and SFWMD provided partial certification for Phase 1 in March 2026. The city engineering department said it still has a list of punch-list items that must be completed before any certificate of occupancy is issued.

The developer’s representatives — Dennis Murphy and Tom De Grace of Culpepper Interpreting and Richard Bruce of Colter Land Development — said the project was designed to collect and attenuate runoff into a system of water-quality ponds and a central wetland, and that berms and outlet controls were required by permitting. They said they have obtained required agency permits, paid fines for prior off-site discharges, and intend to complete landscaping and tree mitigation as a final step once heavy construction is complete. On wildlife concerns, the developer said gopher tortoise relocations were performed under permit and that contractors were instructed to stop work and follow required handling procedures if tortoises are found.

Commissioners pressed for practical verification in the field. Several asked staff to confirm whether county-owned canals and historic drainage paths had been cleared and whether High Point’s pump system was operating; staff said some of those responsibilities lie with external agencies (county, SFWMD) but committed to joint inspections and to a clearer interdepartmental case-note process so complaints are logged and followed from first contact through enforcement and remediation.

Several commissioners asked the developer to return with more detailed engineering exhibits and for staff to convene a site visit. Staff emphasized that while many permits and approvals are on file, some site work still requires completion and final inspection prior to final approvals.

What’s next: staff will supply a punch-list and timeline for outstanding work, engineering will confirm outfall and canal conditions, and the developer said it will respond to immediate contractor issues (noise, fence repairs, animal trapping) and provide additional documentation to the commission.