PALM BAY, Fla. – There is still a massive hole in Palm Bay Estates off Indian River Drive, but the roadway is back open after being closed for hours when the hole formed overnight.
“It’s been a big inconvenience for the people on the other side. We were able to get around until this event happened,” said Olin Hilton, who lives in Palm Bay Estates.
For residents like Hilton, the reopening is a relief, but many say the bigger concern is what caused the collapse — and whether it could happen again.
Residents said it is the latest chapter in a yearlong saga involving an aging pipe they believe gave way after heavy rain Wednesday, causing the road to collapse.
“We had to replace all the pipes in this park because they were 60 years old, but this pipe we’re talking about, I think it’s the pipe that the city has,” Hilton said.
The city provided an email with a timeline showing what it described as repeated efforts to help Palm Bay Estates, even though it said it is not responsible for maintenance.
In 2024, the city secured a repair quote, but no action was taken. Last year, the city offered a preventive pipe repair option before the pipe failed, but the HOA declined.
In November, the city agreed to seek public funding to help protect nearby infrastructure while repairs were underway. But after a higher repair estimate came in, Palm Bay Estates changed course — reversing its approval and asking the city to pull its funding request.
The city said it has also discussed an HOA easement, but no agreement has been reached.
An HOA board member told News 6 on Wednesday that the pipe belongs to the city and only passes through association property before emptying into a nearby canal.
“It’s a major artery coming in here, and there’s a loop that goes around with 60 homes along this canal,” said Tom Menard, who also lives in Palm Bay Estates.
Many residents said they do not care who is responsible — they just want the problem fixed.
“It has to be fixed one way or the other,” Hilton said.
For now, the hole remains, and the HOA has not said what it plans to do next.