It’s true: while houses from slab to rooftop may not be higher than 35 feet in Palm Coast, there is nothing in city building regulations that limit how high the fill beneath the concrete slab may rise. Theoretically, it could be two, three, four, five or six feet higher than an adjoining house’s slab.
And some new houses in Palm Coast are rather suddenly rising to those heights as builders seek higher elevations to protect against flooding.
That’s been creating flooding problems for neighboring, existing homes, at least in the eyes of existing residents, and generating what started as a trickle of complaints to the city and is now building into a flood, as was the case at a Palm Coast City Council meeting earlier this week. Council members have taken notice, and are demanding action from their administration. (See: “Palm Coast Residents Complain: New Homes Built Higher Than Ours Are Flooding Us, and City Turns Blind Eye.”)
That’s already in the works, and according to Jason DeLorenzo, the city’s chief of staff, the rewrite of the relevant technical regulation pre-dates the recent complaints.
Lynne Stevens, deputy director of Palm Coast’s stormwater and engineering department (she was previously Port Orange’s public utilities director) “has been working on updating the technical manual,” DeLorenzo said, “and one of those updates is maximum slab, the FFE, finished floor [elevation], from the crown of the road.” That’s not a limit on fill per se, but it amounts to the same thing: it means that fill height cannot be higher than a certain elevation above the crown of the road–the center point of the road in front of a home that happens to be its highest point.
So the entire issue of fill height regulations will be accomplished administratively, since it’s a technical manual, without need for ordinances or City Council hearings and approvals. And it should be done rather swiftly. The city has been meeting with “stakeholders” such as graders, who play an essential role in the leveling of fill beneath and around new houses. “It’s trying to get things better. It wasn’t related to this,” DeLorenzo said, referring to the recent controversies about fill-height elevations as he stood in front of the lot under construction that provoked it all.
Oddly, there was no mention of that new regulation when the City Council fielded complaints over just such problems at a meeting earlier this week.
The house at 98 Birchwood Drive is ground zero in an issue that percolated in the background across the city for the last few years, but largely out of the public eye until now. As scores of Palm Coast’s 10,000-odd remaining vacant lot fill in with new homes every month, residents have been increasingly contending with flooded yards soon after those new homes go up. Homeowners have complained to contractors and to the city. Contractors and the city say there’s nothing they can do: no regulations were being violated, though obviously the city took note along the way.
Finally, the residents on Birchwood decided to take their complaints to City Hall, as they did earlier this week, and to the media. City Council member Ed Danko, who is campaigning for a County Commission seat, has happily played circus master, orchestrating media attention (including soliciting FlaglerLive’s, as he did on Thursday, though calls it “fake news” and frequently derides its journalism) and placing himself on a mound of attention-grabbing fill of his own, possibly even interfering with city staff’s work.
“I’m not I’m not here to protect the city. I’m here to protect these people. That’s my job,” Danko said.
Thursday evening, Palm Coast city officials had arranged to speak with the homeowners and the new builder on Birchwood in an attempt to address the situation, only to find themselves in the middle of what one official referred to as the “circus” Danko had organized, including this message on his Facebook page: “Today, Thursday, at 4:15 PM, at 98 BirchWood Dr., media, city staff, the builder, and neighbors affected by the builder will meet. I urge everyone who has experienced this type of situation to be there and voice Your concerns to City staff and the media. I will certainly be there.”
On a couple of occasions, surrounded by a few of his acolytes and local media, he also lost raised his voice against the builder at 98 Birchwood. It isn’t clear if Danko was playing to the audience or if it was Danko’s usual temper flaring. “I’m a little angry, damn it,” he yelled, as the builder was telling him to calm down. Danko was wanting guarantees from the builder that his promises–the new house will not cause flooding–would be in writing.
For all the theatrics and orchestration, it may very well have taken some of both to get the existing homeowners’ frustrations addressed.
There’s no question that the issue is no longer in the shadows. And judging from the public response to articles about it, similar flooding problems are more widespread than the city has acknowledged so far, though city officials don’t deny that it’s an issue. They do deny, however, that the problem is generated by new construction.
Instead–and this can be startling or angering to hear for existing homeowners facing that problem, as it was on Birchwood–it is water from existing homes that once improperly drained onto vacant lots that residents now are contending with. The water, blocked by new construction, now stays on their lots instead of draining properly into swales.
In other words, as the city sees it, it is poorly designed drainage on existing homes, not new homes that are built on higher grades, that result in flooding.
“We’re gonna blame it on them, right?” a livid Danko said. “There we go, blame it on the owners.” He was standing near 98 Birchwood Thursday evening, hearing Doug Griesemer of Estela Living, the builder of the house, explain why the high fill on the new house, which rises well over a foot above existing homes (and looks higher, though grading will eventually change that), has nothing to do with the flooding on the adjoining properties, and will have nothing to do with flooding there.
“Are you guys aware that your lots are draining to the back?” Griesemer told Mara Wuerth, who owns the house at 96 Birchwood, and Paul Fink, who owns 100 Birchwood. “You are six inches below the road. Yours is as well. It runs down, backward, and there’s no way I can control that. But I will keep the water off of your lot.”
Jeff Crews, a survey crew supervisor with the city, confirms it: 100 Birchwood is 15 inches lower than 98 Birchwood, and 96 Birchwood is 13 inches below. It’s no small matter that 100 Birchwood was built in 2001, under Flagler County building regulations and three years before Palm Coast even had a building department. 96 Birchwood was built in 2017, fully under Palm Coast’s new regulations.
Wuerth doesn’t dispute what Griesemer says, but doesn’t accept that the huge elevation of the new house isn’t going to cause flooding on her yard. Still, Griesemer says, “you’re not going to get any water on your yard. I promise you that.”
Wuerth wants it in writing. Griesemer said there’ll be a document, though city officials say any property’s surveying documents are the proof of where drainage does and does not go, making an additional document superfluous.
Griesemer says the new house will have a drainage system that will channel the lot’s water toward the swale at the front of the house, essentially channeling water on either side of the house in that direction, making it impossible for it to dump on adjoining lots. The new house will also have gutters that will direct roof drainage toward those conveyances. (Griesemer’s Estela Living bought the lot in August and rapidly went to work building the house. Estela Living is a Coral Gables company that incorporated just last February, according to Florida Division of Corporation records, which worries Danko: “This could be a fly by night company for all I know, and that’s concerning,” he said.)
The issue goes well beyond 98 Birchwood, of course. “We need to deal with the homes next to these construction sites,” Danko told DeLorenzo as both stood in front of 98 Birchwood. “Their property has slumped, they were built to a previous code. We need to find some way that builders reach out and work this out with the adjoining properties, because if right now this does flood, these people will never be able to sell their homes. Their homes will be worthless, and I’m concerned about that, Jason.”
The grading at the house on 98 Birchwood will not look anything like it did on Thursday evening, DeLorenzo said, with a lot of the high mounds of fill in the back and the sides getting leveled toward the front. Crews, the survey crew supervisor, illustrated the point. “Anything over six inches’ difference between two houses shows up really hard until the house is finished,” he said. “Once the house is finished, and you see how it’s graded, it’s going to be a non-issue for everybody. I’ve seen it happen many, many times. But it looks really horrible now but it’s not going to be this way when it’s done. Like I said, there’s only 13 and 15 inches. That’s not totally uncommon.”
The discussions city officials wanted to have with the builder and the homeowner did finally take place, if under less than propitious circumstances. The technical explanations may not satisfy existing homeowners, especially because the explanations are so counter-intuitive: water flows downhill, and when homeowners see higher lots adjoining them, they will logically assume that water from those lots will flow down to theirs.
That’s not going to be the case, the Palm Coast officials and the builder stressed, and the surveys will prove it. But nor did they deny that water may well pool and flood existing, older yards, because of poor drainage issues. And when asked how it could possibly be proven where that flood water will have originated, since it’s not color-coded by lot, the officials did not have an answer. In residents’ minds, and all assurances aside, when their yards will flood, there will be a culprit, and it’s not the existing homeowners.
Gary says
In the past if you were going to have sod installed over existing lawn you had to get a permit. That was for the city. To make sure you were not higher then the neighbors property line that would causing flooding. WHAT CHANGED ?
It’s called do nothing unless someone complains. When ever you ask a question you get double talk . A rehearst answer From Every dept.
Linda Jones says
I built here in 1998. I’m number of years later they built a lot behind me. No kidding, it was probably 18 to 20 in higher than my property. I put a garden across the back of my yard to try to do something with the look. The neighbors behind put a fence up. My yard floods in the back all the time
Linda Jones says
And just for another little bit of Interest, I have a Swale to the left of me. There is a neighbor next door on the other side. If you stand right in the middle of the street and look down that swale, her property is at least 18 in lower than mine. Hers used to be the same height… but her property has slid down into that swale. No kidding ….you’re welcome to come and see it… I am not lying. And since the Swale has been filled in from all the dirt on her property it is no longer the five or six feet that it was when I first moved here 26 years ago… possibility of more flooding?
The dude says
Danko is pompous little asshat, just grubbing for publicity.
He would scream and wag his grubby little fingers if there weren’t cameras and people around.
The old tribals will most likely vote him in at the county level as they love this kind of performative politics.
That being said, there’s no way the builder will be able to guarantee that he can keep the neighbors yards from flooding. A Florida man dug French drain type system will not be able to handle some of the deluges Palm Coast can get. And because it will be Florida man doing the work, it will be incompetent and incomplete.
JimboXYZ says
The only thing I see that could be done is to dig around the base of the house, concrete & block could be installed & the ground leveled. What a mess the incompetents are making Palm Coast in their quest to Bidening of Flagler County. Another other option is to require gutters & drains that direct rain water from roof & ground runoff into the sewage water line or to the swale since there is no street storm drain systems in Palm Coast. I guess property values need to plummet from this Alfin mess of mismanaged growth ? That’s OK, stormwater swale management was defeated by this and virtually every construction in the Biden era, please charge us more every month for his on the City of Palm Coast utilities ? Yes, I’m being sarcastic about a stormwater fee increase on top of the one we already have. Impact fees ? I think homeowners need to get all that money as the building continues. Amazing, Danko is in the middle of this discussion, Alfin nowhere to be found in the photo.
Jim says
The “Bidening of Flagler County”??? Are you serious? Where are all these liberal Democrats in the city council, county commissioners and school board? I must have missed that.
Suggest you only put your opinions on paper when you’re sober…..
Laurel says
Jim: If you get a pimple on your butt, it’s Biden’s fault according to Jimbo. All the liberal Democrats are using mind control on the over abundance of Republican politicians in Flagler County.
Alternate universe.
Flapharmtech says
Thank you, Laurel and Jim, for your voices of sanity. I’m very happy to know there are some like-minded residents here.
Laurel says
Flapharmtech:
Don Jr. “I know nothing, it’s the accountant’s fault.”
Eric: “I know nothing, it’s the accountant’s fault.”
Ivanka: “I know nothing and I can’t recall.”
The Donald: “Witch hunt.”
Bob J says
OMG. You just made my day!
Laurel says
Ivanka: Why am I here, isn’t this a school week?
JimboXYZ says
How soon we forget that this is Biden’s Building Back Better ? Politicians are going to gravitate towards that pot of money, 3 years of this. there’s a new residential one over & behind from my property. Standing water where there never was in the property directly behind that new construction that has a higher elevation. I’m even getting standing water & soggier soil for it. End of the day here, Build Back Better is a fail, money ran out a long time ago. What are we spending money on instead ? Ukraine & Middle east instability for crisis. Let’s see what else, Government Shutdown again ? The money ran out a long time ago, so they have to create the same cash flow crisis. Inflation is what it is. That’s the Bidenoimics of it all. We’re all paying more each month for stormwater mis-management and this is the better service we’re getting for it. Try to connect the dots, no problems before Biden in my world, now are higher prices for problems that didn’t exist before. Cause & Effect, the science of that ?
Tom M says
Finally some common sense has prevailed !!!!
BLINDSPOTTING says
So there is nothing in the city building regulations that limit how high fill
beneath the concrete slab may be???? How convenient is that! If it’s the water
from existing homes that were not properly drained the city is responsible and
needs to do something,If new construction poses a problem due to the height
of the landfill the city is also responsible and needs to do something, STOP
blaming the homeowers,we are also suppose to be engineers and planners too!
And when engineers go into inspect for the money they are making while people
are in contract what are they doing is another question? And now DeLOrenzo is
just rewriting relevant technical regulations since the residents complaints, why
were these technical regulations not written years ago, he knows this as well
as his engineering department back when the city started to show more growth this
is what his job is as well as his staff which is why he was hired , do your jobs, its not
just about the Benjamins, it also about the safety, health and well being of our residents,
homeowners and citizens. And BRAVO DANKO made a ruckus the squeaky wheel
gets the grease, we need to turn to and to count on our officials when complaints fall
upon deaf ears and blind eyes and not the ones who run on platforms to just get elected
who GO ALONG TO GET ALONG for a paycheck!
Shark says
Looks like a garbage dump where they are standing !!!
bob says
Ed “Stink-o” was grandstanding again. a want to be tough guy crawling in the dirt
JimboXYZ says
Is there a commonly accepted contact for officially reporting to the City of Palm Coast for similar issues of higher elevation new construction residential that is flooding existing homes in the P-Section or any other for that matter ?
JimboXYZ says
The developer bringing up that the road is 6 inches higher at the crown or even edge of the roadway than a property is irrelevant. The road is supposed to drain & into a swale to accumulate and drain to the end of the street or wherever the main drainage is located. Don’t let the developer/contractor distract form the fact that the rain accumulates on the roof of the dwelling that they built & runs off onto a non-sodded dirt lot that is of higher elevation to flow onto the property next to it. If your yard is soggier than it ever was from a rain storm of normal or higher precipitation the new construction is causing that issue. And it might be flooding to the foundation of the existing home which would erode the soil, even sink & crack he existing homes foundation. That Miami based construction company should know better than to spin their problem as “it’ll be fine” without being on the hook for what they caused. At the very least insurance premiums will be higher for potential claims. I see this as something homeowners are going to have lawyer up for and sue over. It’s apparent all the one’s making money for the residential growth in Palm Coast don’t want to own this.
bill says
Isn’t it wonderful that we (the taxpayers) pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries to the “good ‘ole boys” so they can showcase their incompetence? And what’s our “city manager have to say? (probably clueless) yet we still pay out these ridiculous salaries! (bye the way, it’s not just city manager, Delorenzo et al, it is almost universal in the city ranks)
M&M says
Palm Coast is governed by Republican. You all keep voting for them. Look at what you all are going through. Keep electing Republicans and the situation in Palm Coast and the State will get worst. Welcome to Republican control. I’m not lying look at the situation in this city and the state.
Joey G says
They are all full of hot air. If these homeowners never had a flooding problem till those new homes were build what does that tell you. Mark my words after a couple of years when there is erosion that backyard will not flow to the front anymore. When all I see is bahia being installed ( which is cattle grass) and it’s loaded with sand it will break down very quickely. Ever see these guys set up a transit NOPE they do this all by eye. You send the city back to reshoot some grades from 1 year ago and I bet you anything these have changed. I have the same issue in my backyard. The builder and the city thought they were smart when they came over to my place. See I married 2 pieces of property together but they were to lazy to check that. So they ARE draining onto my backyard that they think is vacant land. They are WRONG it’s all one piece. So the guy from the city says opps I quess we will check that from now on. Really they don’t care unless it happens to them. I brought in 18 yards to bring the land up about 5 inchs. My cost and my ass busting work all by hand.
TR says
A day late and a dollar short. There are tons of houses that have a problem where a new home is a lot higher that the existing home and the lower home always has standing water after a heavy rain. The swale system doesn’t ever work right. It seems that every time the city redoes a swale it’s worse that before. My neighborhood swale was redone almost 3 years ago and it doesn’t work right. All the covert pipes are lower than the dirt line so there is always water stuck in them and causes mosquitos to breed. Then there is the problem with idiot drivers driving in the swale messing up the lawns and the way the water should flow. So the lots that have a house higher then the next house is suppose to have the water drain into the swale? How is that going to work when the swale can’t handle the regular water that is suppose to drain in them. I wish the city council will get their heads out of their butts and find someone with a common sense brain to fix this mess. I could go on and on but it’s useless. I hope the next problem the city tries to fix is people cutting the corners and making the corner lot look like a dirt track.
Marko says
There’s an old saying in the regulatory world: “Thou shall not discharge stormwater onto thy neighbors property”. Infill lots are always a challenge to match surrounding properties grades. However, this is a relatively easy fix by requiring the new home pad to be built on a stem wall. In this case, the home slab is elevated while the remaining grade is finished to maintain and direct stormwater flow to the front or rear of the property. The grade then is closely matching those of neighboring properties. This is successfully accomplished everyday in countless cities and counties. Especially those areas building in a flood zone. Not sure why this is such a big deal to fix in Palm Coast? The neighbors have every right to be concerned and complaining with potential litigation against the city forthcoming.
Jane Gentile-,Youf says
Thanks Marko. You sure hit ‘,the matk”
Bob J says
It use to be that way here. In the last ten years the city has been lax with the builders, you all know why. The neighborhood I live in had swales regraded four years ago, only one side of the street was done. They never finished the scheduled project. Since then the section has had water drainage issues. Now, I have had no homes behind me for nine years. Now there are four new units that were built in the last three years. You guessed it. My back yard is a pool when we get heavy rains. Since the first home was built, twenty-one inches above my grade, the city has said nothing can be done. This is not a new issue. Just something they chose to sweep under the rug. All the water drains to my property. Oh, and the swale still has not been addressed as well, thought they increase stormwater fees and still say they need more money to fix them to work properly. I can go on about alot more but the grade is the issue here. Have a great day
BIG Neighbor says
Culverts are obviously no longer getting it. Address it now to avoid costs later.
Jim says
I’m glad to see the city is moving towards doing the right thing and responding to citizen concerns with new rules on how much fill can be used as well as better requirements for where the water run off can go. This is what the city should have been doing much earlier when the issue came to the forefront. Once again, citizens only see action when they make enough noise that they can’t be ignored.
Speaking of noise, Danko can do all the grand-standing stunts he wants. He’s been a terrible council member and he has done nothing to deserve the support of the county for commissioner. I expect he’ll find that out for himself in that election. He got his moment in front of the cameras which was all he’s interested in. I just wish this area could do better in regards to elected officials. We seem to get the highest percentage of morons I’ve ever seen.
Oh, and city officials, the next time citizens are pointing out their problems, if you actually are “already working on it”, you might say something. A big part of the problem was the perception that city employees/officials were just ignoring the problem!
DaleL says
It should be obvious, that it is NOT the fill under a house’s floor slab that is the issue. Instead it is the fill on the lot around the house. In any case, the building code must allow a house to have a ground floor elevation of at least three feet above the FEMA BFE (Base Flood Elevation) for that property.
Denali says
Please enlighten us as to the specific Florida Building Code section to which you refer. The building code certainly does “allow a house to have a ground floor elevation of at least three feet above the FEMA BFE (Base Flood Elevation) for that property” but no where does it require such action.
DaleL says
It is not in the building code. Rather I meant that it should be (must allow). The alternative is to have increased flood insurance cost. The flood insurance rate is based on the elevation of the ground floor. Three feet above the BFE results in the lowest rate. It would be ridiculous to allow new homes to be built that will be subject to flooding in the future and be more difficult to insure.
Flooded yards and streets are a nuisance. Even one inch of water in a home is a disaster.
Shark says
Time to get rid of the clowns who run this town and get someone with a brain !!!!
Hammock Huck says
LMAO. Good luck!
SG says
It’s astonishing that City regulations do not allow finished grades to be altered to increase fence heights (LDC 4.01.02) yet sets no limits on how much fill can be placed on a lot to before a slab is poured.
CELIA PUGLIESE says
This is the biggest lie that this city administrators are telling us all in support of the stakeholders builders and contractors favoritism: “In other words, as the city sees it, it is poorly designed drainage on existing homes, not new homes that are built on higher grades, that result in flooding”. I had the same issue 20 years ago when I bought my house built in 1995 after the next door one built in 2000 was allowed over a foot higher than mine. After I costly resolved their water inundating my south side yard and provoking the mushy ground almost the fall (on my or his roof) of my young but very heavy Oak during my first hurricane endure in this house!. These houses built higher provoke the water fall ruoff that damage existing homes and their of course incorrect culverts under their driveway prevent the free run of water downwards making lakes of swales and I advise all affected to start recording during storms where the water comes from and show council and mayor first, no one else! Our city elected one’s need to stop believing the incorrect information or lies feed to them in favor of their lobbied developers and/or contractors satisfying their greed! Probably the affected neighbor lady with her displayed pics next to 98 Birchwood in her 3 minutes to the council and mayor on last Tuesday 11th meeting, didn’t get the personal individual attention from Community Development DeLorenzo while walking outside into the hallway with him, to address the complaint from the affluent Island States resident with the same flooding problem, after a new home being built next to his! Did he give that affected resident lady the same distintive attention? Some of our city administrators appear to us resident, not only using selective too tech jergon to address the one sided enforcement but also using what appears vindictive desicions trying and trying again the same incorrect construed plans nearby after we spend in our attorneys to defend and defeated them! We the residents of this city and county are enough fed up and won’t take it anymore being silent and quietly enduring. NO, we won’t move we will stay put and battle for the fair treatment our taxes are supposed to pay for! Can’t wait for 2024 change. All these rezoning…stopped for the first time by our excellent Councilwoman Pointieri making a developer to stick to the original single family zoning so appreciated in last Tuesday 11/11! We residents also need elected and city administrators that first work for us that pay their wages and stop planning for third parties while ignoring our City Charter and use land development loops that are so damaging to us residents!
Chris says
Developers and builders can do anything they want in palm Coast . They mayor, city department are all realtors!
Greg says
Remember, palm coast is built on a swamp! What could go wrong!
Laurel says
Putting the blame on older properties is absurd, and careless. No one built their houses on higher fill until insurance companies lobbied for it. Cities tend to be reactive, without foresight. This is what happens when developers and realtors rule the roost, as they do now in Flagler County.
Each property developed should have a stormwater plan. This plan includes elevations. A bat can see that if fill brought in to elevate the new home higher than its neighbors it is going to be a problem. Rain runs off the bigger roofs onto the smaller, closer setbacks and finds the lowest level to settle in. Since the setbacks are smaller, and the homes closer, it’s obvious that there is not enough room for appropriate swales between the houses. Palm Coast is low level with a high water table as it is. As it stands now, these new builds should never have been approved, but again, there was no foresight while writing up ordinances. The developers are working within the ordinances, take the money and run.
Oaks, other trees and vegetation help to lower the water table. By removing this vegetation and trees, this makes the problem worse. Cramming in houses and impervious areas also exasperate the problem. “Westward Ho!” is a problem. Runoff to the ICW is a problem. Pep tanks are a problem. No real planning until the problems show up is the real culprit.
Houses should be built farther apart, and on stemwalls not mounded fill. Grass in the swales should be a lot lower than the road edge. Often, the grass grows higher, defeating the purpose. Homeowners need to stop placing plant and other debris in the swales. Homeowners need to stop parking on swales.
The fact of the matter is, each property owner is responsible for retaining runoff on their properties. If the runoff is not retained by a neighbor, that neighbor is liable for any damage done to another property. Meanwhile, let’s knock off this over development, with little foresight, and seriously try to prevent problems, not be reactive to them later.
Hammock Huck says
Nailed it on the head Laurel.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Eddie the Poser grandstanding, finger pointing, yelling at a contractor looks real good in the news.
Leila says
How long has Danko been on the Council? I love it when a politician blames someone else for the problems that are his responsibility. The picture of Mr. Danko screaming at the builder is a prime example. That builder is required to build according to City regulations.
God save us from attention seeking screeching politicians, puleeze.
Hammock Huck says
It’s a prime example of the mentality of the voter’s in Palm Coast. CLUELESS.
CELIA PUGLIESE says
Did you vote for the ones in this county that will have you pay for this? https://flaglerlive.com/settlement-flagler-county-captains/#gsc.tab=0
Mothersworry says
I’m amazed that there is no restriction regarding changing the elevation of the property within 10 feet or more from the property line to control run off. I’m amazed, but actually not surprised. Anybody saying that there won’t be run off in the adjacent property depicted in the picture is just nut’s.
Hire a hydrologist not some contractor.
Deb says
Well what happens is buildings codes change. Let’s say your home was built in 1985, back then the elevation standards was different. Todays someone buys a lot next to you and the new building notes a higher elevation for homes but. What’s missing here, is the city or county whomever, like you noted needs to ensure the surrounding existing homes are not impacted by run off and that means the new home needs to install some drainage management system to stop the water from flooding nearby yards before the permits are signed off on. But you actually have to have a city or county management person that actually gives a crap for this to work.
Wobie says
It’s been since October 18th since there has been any movement on my case #00197237. Last action was “sent to Department”. No contact, no acknowledgment, no nothing and now. once again, I have a lake in my back yard due to the runoff from the house constructed next door to me. This situation is BS and something needs to be done since the city changed the elevation rules and obviously didn’t take into consideration of the impact of established residents. Thanks for turning my property into a flood zone.
Hammock Huck says
I don’t know how the bubbling buffoon Palm Coast engineer got his/her degree, but the water has to go somewhere. Keep attracting the Yanks to that swamp you have made a city out of, and filling it in for more housing. One day, you’ll learn a valuable lesson when an afternoon thunder shower floods the houses in that cesspool you live in.
DIRK DIGGLER says
Deaf ears only listen when made to hear. So much conflict of interest among local gov persons. Appears concerns all the way back to 2010, about the affiliation of certain persons to the real estate, home building and related industries. Concerns THEN were overbuilding, drainage issues, etc…, Other words,,, we were warned about this years ago, and look….. THEY WERE RIGHT THEN and are RIGHT NOW. Maybe as a collective, which means everyone affected has to stand together and either mitigate a remedy or go the legal route. I even ponder placing a lien on new construction, that way they cannot close/signoff until its proven that the drainage is correct. This cannot continue to be allowed and ignored by elected officials who are bound by their oaths to protect us, the taxpaying homeowner….