EDGEWATER, Fla. – After several years of flooding concerns being brought forward by residents, Edgewater’s city leaders are moving forward with proposals for development moratoriums.
The council unanimously approved the first readings of the two ordinances this week with the hope that they would give the city time to address the flooding issues.
Resident Jim Mahaney told News 6 after the vote that it’s needed, especially in the Florida Shores area. Mahaney lives on the backside of a newer development that he believes has caused more flooding in recent years.
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“The last one, Milton, because of the berm across the road, when it broke loose, it let a lot of water come out all at once and it flooded the neighbors’ houses and that’s never even been close to having water,” said Mahaney.
There are two moratorium ordinances that the city council could put in place to address citywide flooding concerns: One would be citywide on annexations, rezonings, amendments, site plans, and plats, with a few commercial and industrial exclusions.
The other would prohibit issuing building permits that would increase impervious surfaces, or surfaces that water can’t absorb into, especially in the Florida shores.
Mayor Diezel Depew told News 6 the city council wants to find out where the current watershed is going.
“We are expecting to get our stormwater master plan back in a year in December. We gave a consultant $20,000 extra to speed that up,” he said.
DePew said he did hear the concerns from other residents about the economic impact of a moratorium and that’s why there are few commercial exceptions.
“The city attorney advised us not to go past a year. So, we did a two-year, but it could be ended as soon as we get everything accomplished within that moratorium,” he said.
The second reading on both ordinances will be at the city council meeting Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.
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