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Residents press county on drainage, new construction and developer activity in AllJoy and Royal Pines
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Summary
Multiple residents raised unresolved drainage and development concerns during public comment, reporting failing or absent onsite drainage at new homes, clogged ditches and soil-testing activity on a former golf course; the board said staff will follow up and a stormwater community meeting on AllJoy modeling is planned.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the April 8 Stormwater Management Utility Board meeting to press county staff on local drainage, development approvals and flooding risks.
Felice Larkin of Pigeon Point said new construction next to her property on a Bridal Creek/Okeechee River tributary appears to lack a drainage plan. "I have not had the respect or the courtesy of an email return or a phone call from any of the people I have just mentioned," Larkin said she told county staff; Chair Mark Feinberg responded that staff would route the complaint to the correct place and ensure she receives a callback.
Jim Lawton described preliminary Seaman Whiteside modeling for the AllJoy drainage study that outlines inundation of low-lying properties under extreme tides and flood scenarios and identified local ditch obstructions and sand-blocked outfalls that trap water. Lawton asked what actions will follow when study data are collected; staff said a stormwater-specific community meeting will be scheduled to discuss proposed solutions and that maintenance items identified in the modeling (ditch and culvert cleanouts, targeted upsizing and potential bioswale installations) are already being tracked.
Residents from Royal Pines reported site activity at an old golf-course parcel; one commenter named the developer and another said soil-sampling was underway and that property buyers may be planning private development. Mark Chapman told the board that several homeowners are maintaining pumps and said uncertainty about the parcels future use is undermining trust.
Board and staff responses: staff acknowledged the concerns, said they will follow up with zoning and relevant departments and noted some near-term maintenance actions (ditches, culverts) had already been identified by consultants. Staff also flagged a planned community meeting on AllJoy and an upcoming staff report that will cover some of the drainage-study findings.
What happens next: staff will route individual complaints (for example the Larkin address) to the proper county unit for a response, schedule the stormwater community meeting to review proposed AllJoy solutions and continue coordination with consultants on identified asset maintenance.
