West Melbourne residents blame new development for water woes

Planned development several feet higher than nearby community

WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – Residents in one Brevard County community say recent flooding issues stem from a nearby development that is currently being built just north of their neighborhood. 

Puddles of rain filled several yards in the Manchester Lakes community along Osborne Court after Monday's night rainstorm. In some spots, residents could see the water trickling from their backyard into their front yard. 

"There's quite a dramatic slant to the property coming toward our subdivision," concerned resident Carla Myers said. 

Myers is one of a handful of residents voicing concerns over the new development called Eber Cove. Nearly 100 sites are being developed as part of the new community. 

The new homes are set to be built with an increased elevation, about four feet higher than those in nearby Manchester Lakes and that's what's scaring residents.  

"With the rainy season upon us, I'm concerned it's managed correctly without traumatizing the neighborhood with water damage," Myers said.  "The developer had a crew out there this morning to repair the erosion that took place after the storm." 

The West Melbourne City Manager, Scott Morgan,  provided a copy of this letter sent to a concerned resident, which details how the developer plans to have the water drain to the north and the east, away from the Manchester Lakes community. 

It reads: 

"You are correct in that the finish floor elevation of new homes in the developing Eber Cove subdivision that back up to your home will be approximately 4 feet above the finish floor elevation of your home. This is because the adjoining Eber Cove subdivision will be draining the vast majority of their subdivision north and east so as not to impact the Manchester Lakes drainage that, through a series of connected HOA ponds, drains south to Melbourne-Tillman Canal No 72.
 
"Nonetheless, there is a very small area at the very back of the neighboring lots in Eber Cove that come back on a very short but fairly steep slope to reach the previous grade. The developer will be draining approximately two-thirds of this very small area, that also appears to drain the rear portion of at least some of the adjoining Manchester Lakes homes’ yards (including apparently your pool deck) along an open swale to the west, where it will enter the Manchester Lakes Pond D. So that in the future individual homeowners in the new Eber Cove subdivision along this area are legally unable to block and dam up this future drainage swale, the Eber Cove HOA will hold an easement across this swale so that they may assure continuous positive drainage for the benefit of the neighboring Manchester Lakes homeowners along that portion of Osborne Court. (The other approximate one-third of the swale, east of your property, will drain east from the existing break point to the wetland area to the east.)

"For your information, I am attaching a plan sheet from the 2005 construction plans for your neighborhood showing that your finish floor elevation was to be installed at elevation 34.34 feet (1929 NGDV). I am also attaching from the building permit file for your home the survey data that shows that your finish floor elevation was actually constructed at elevation 34.38 feet (1929 NGDV), or just 0.04 higher than the approved plan. Your finish floor elevation is exactly 2.00 feet above the crown of Osborne Court at the extension of your west property line. These elevations slightly exceeded the City’s code for your property."


About the Author:

It has been an absolute pleasure for Clay LePard living and working in Orlando since he joined News 6 in July 2017. Previously, Clay worked at WNEP TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he brought viewers along to witness everything from unprecedented access to the Tobyhanna Army Depot to an interview with convicted double-murderer Hugo Selenski.

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