PALM BAY, Fla. — Residents of the Palm Bay Estates 55+ community say they’re still concerned after a washout left them with one traffic lane in an out of their neighborhood on Indian River Drive NE.
The City of Palm Bay completed an emergency repair Wednesday, reopening one lane of traffic and restoring partial access. Palm Bay Estates board member Terry Stuhlmiller said, “We were really grateful to have them here yesterday to get at least one lane opened up on the street so we’re not isolating all of our residents.”
The issue now centers on who will pay for a permanent fix.
According to the City of Palm Bay, the damaged pipe and private roadway belong to Palm Bay Estates. Residents, however, argue that runoff from surrounding development approved by the city contributed to the erosion and road damage.
Stuhlmiller said the community has been working with city officials for months and had requested an easement agreement that would have allowed the city to maintain to the stormwater pipe.
“The fact remains that this pipe has to be fixed,” Stuhlmiller said.
Residents say many people in the community live on fixed incomes and cannot afford the cost of a major infrastructure repair on their own. With hurricane season underway, they worry additional heavy rain could make the situation worse.
“Until we come to some sort of agreement with the city and get some help from outside, we’re in a bind,” Stuhlmiller said.
Board members say the drainage pipe will need to be replaced one way or another, but they remain hopeful that outside assistance can be secured before the problem worsens.
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