Resident Shari Perkins urges River Ridge board to address persistent Pinehurst drainage and ponding

Resident Shari Perkins told the River Ridge Community Development District board on July 23 that, a week after a street drain was plugged, drainage problems persist at the Pinehurst triangle monument and a retention pond between River 8 and River 9 appears non-functional, with water "nearly 1' above the drain." She asked the board to consider addressing the two drains on the left and right sides of the Pinehurst monument and said she would provide photographs and video of the accumulating water.

District Engineer John Baker explained that plugging the inlet stopped upstream water from being pushed into the lower system but left the downstream system without an outlet, creating what he called "a very tiny pond in a pipe." He said the original problem—water from one system draining into another—was addressed, but that observed flooding could still impact the system and "it will likely require additional study." Baker and the Board emphasized the value of photographic or video evidence; Ms. Perkins agreed to provide video footage to CDD staff.

The Board asked staff to have the District Engineer view the affected drainage areas firsthand. Chuck Adams, District Manager, clarified that local stormwater runs into the Estero River and described the pipe route across private lots, the golf course and into a ditch running to the River Club. The Board did not take formal action at the meeting but directed staff to investigate and to report back; the drainage items remain on the agenda for follow-up.