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Pinehurst residents press River Ridge for urgent fixes after repeated flooding; board asks engineer for written plan
Summary
Residents of Pinehurst told the River Ridge board they have endured repeated, hazardous flooding and demanded the district make Pinehurst a top priority. District Engineer Charlie Krebs said blockages likely caused prolonged standing water and the board asked him to deliver a written remediation plan and timeline.
Pinehurst residents told the River Ridge Community Development District on June 25 that repeated flooding, including significant inundation during a June 12–14 tropical storm, has created unsafe and impassable conditions and demanded immediate, high‑priority action.
Resident Mike Dugan read a prepared statement saying Pinehurst is “galvanized in one voice” and demanding an “absolute commitment from River Ridge that Pinehurst flooding is now a #1 or co‑#1 priority, regardless of cost,” warning that residents would pursue legal options and pay for temporary sandbagging during future storms if repairs are not rushed. Resident Ed Nowak, also reading a statement, said the redesigned drainage system shifted problems from the Masters neighborhood to Pinehurst and called the redesigned system “flawed and unacceptable,” urging a final, proper redesign given that the community is in hurricane season.
District Engineer Charlie Krebs said he inspected Pinehurst after staff sent him video of the storm and identified blockages at inlets and pipes. Krebs said MRI inspected and cleared leaves and debris and that some Pinehurst drains had obstructions he estimated could be above 25 percent; he told the board MRI would clean the inlets. Krebs also described the control structures and cascading basins that route flows toward the wetlands and explained his on‑site observations about why water remained on roadways while other neighborhoods drained sooner.
Following the public comments and the engineer’s update, Chair Bob Schultz asked Krebs to prepare a written plan that details how the situation will be resolved, include an estimated timeline, and provide the plan to the Board, District staff and the Pinehurst neighborhood representative (Pinehurst NVR). The board did not set an immediate schedule for construction but prioritized getting a plan and timeline to residents and staff.
The comments from Pinehurst residents underscored community frustration: they said streets remained flooded for days after storms while neighboring areas were dry and that some residents had already offered financial support for urgent work. District staff and the engineer said they would proceed with inlet cleaning and submit a remediation plan for board review.
The board’s next regular meeting is set for July 23, 2024; the written remediation plan and timeline were requested prior to that date.
