EDGEWATER, Fla. – Some residents in the Edgewater area say they’ve lived there for decades without any flood issues until recent developments began. They are now hoping a proposed construction moratorium will pass so the city can investigate the problem.
Edgewater resident Mike Wellendorf shared his perspective with News 6.
“Hurricane Frances sat on top of us for the better part of three days and dropped a lot more rain than Ian did, and we didn’t have an inkling of any problems,” Wellendorf said. “Back in 2004, we didn’t have any of these developments.”
Wellendorf, like many others in the area, supports the moratorium to halt construction within city limits.
“I’m not against more jobs and more businesses,” he added, “but what good is it if it’s going to continue to flood out the residents in the city?”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
His garage was flooded during Hurricane Milton, and his home is still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
“We’re living in a crap hole because I’m afraid to fix my house,” Wellendorf said. “With all the stuff going on back here, we’re just going to get flooded again.”
Mayor Michael Depew, who spoke with News 6 while traveling, elaborated on the proposed measure.
“If this moratorium passes, what it allows us to do is pump the brakes and analyze what we have to do in the city of Edgewater,” Depew explained. “We have 12,000 new homes going in, and now is when we need to make a difference for future generations. We need to see if any kind of development is adding to our watershed.”
Mayor Depew said the pause would allow the city to conduct a survey to identify the root causes of flooding and develop a new stormwater master plan.
Wellendorf plans to attend the upcoming meeting and hopes others will join him.
The meeting will be held at Edgewater City Hall at 6 p.m. on Monday. If approved, the moratorium would last for one year, though it could be extended.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: