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Pinehurst residents demand priority fixes after June storm; engineer cites blocked inlets
Summary
During public comment at the River Ridge CDD meeting, Pinehurst residents urged immediate action after June storm flooding and warned of legal options; the district engineer said blockages likely caused prolonged flooding and MRI will clean inlets while the board requested a written mitigation plan.
Pinehurst residents pressed the River Ridge Community Development District on June 25, 2024, demanding the district make Pinehurst flood relief its top priority after what residents called unprecedented flooding during the June 12–14 storm.
Resident Mike Dugan read a prepared statement saying Pinehurst residents were “galvanized in one voice” and warning that, “Short of a quick absolute commitment from River Ridge that Pinehurst flooding is now a #1 or co-#1 priority, regardless of cost, we will be forced to explore legal options.” Dugan said residents will seek constant updates and some have offered financial support to speed repairs.
Resident Ed Nowak, also speaking from a prepared statement, said the recent drainage redesign shifted some flooding impacts from the Masters neighborhood to Pinehurst and that Pinehurst streets remained unsafe and impassable days after rains subsided. “The bottom line is the current redesigned system as far as we can see is flawed and unacceptable,” Nowak said, and he asked why water levels in every receiver are above the outlet height in Pinehurst.
District Engineer Charlie Krebs said he inspected Pinehurst after staff shared video recordings. He told the Board crews removed leaves from a grate, flushed debris from pipes, and found evidence the problem includes blockages in some inlets. Krebs said some drains may be more than 25% blocked and that MRI would clean the inlets. “Debris in the pipes was flushed out easily because it was not very compacted or solid,” he said, explaining why immediate cleaning should improve flow.
Chair Bob Schultz asked Krebs to provide the Board, District staff and the Pinehurst NVR with a written plan detailing how the situation will be resolved and an estimated timeline for repairs.
The comments and engineer’s inspection leave open whether the flooding results from design changes or maintenance problems; residents framed the issue as a design failure, while the engineer emphasized blockage and scheduled cleaning as a near-term remedy. The Board did not adopt a separate motion specific to Pinehurst beyond requesting the written plan and follow-up.
