PALM BAY, Fla. – A large hole that opened along a roadway in a Palm Bay neighborhood Wednesday has renewed concerns over an aging drainage pipe that residents say has needed repairs for years.
The collapse occurred along Indian River Drive Northeast near the clubhouse inside Palm Bay Estates, where neighbors say heavy rainfall overwhelmed an aging drainage system and caused the ground above the pipe to give way.
“It was a flash flood is what it was essentially,” said Terry Stuhlmiller, president of the Palm Bay Estates Association board of directors. “We just had so much rain, and it just couldn’t handle it.”
City of Palm Bay crews were seen Wednesday making temporary repairs to the roadway after the collapse.
Stuhlmiller said residents first noticed water seeping from beneath the ground near the damaged pipe Wednesday morning.
“We knew the pipe was antiquated and needed repairs, and the city was in agreement with that,” he said.
According to Stuhlmiller, the homeowners association and the city have spent at least two years debating responsibility for the drainage pipe and the cost of repairing it.
“We’ve been battling for years with the city — who maintains the pipe and who does the pipe belong to,” Stuhlmiller said. “It’s been an ongoing battle for years.”
Stuhlmiller argues the pipe is owned by the city and simply runs through association property before draining into a nearby canal.
“We don’t use it,” he said. “It goes through our property, but we don’t use it for any drainage. It’s all totally the city’s water that is coming through it.”
While he is grateful city crews responded to stabilize the area, Stuhlmiller said questions remain about how a permanent repair will be funded.
“What it comes down to now is funding,” he said. “They said they don’t have any money in their budget. I know we don’t have any money in our budget for this massive operation.”
A representative from the City of Palm Bay was at the scene Wednesday but declined to comment, citing the fact that Indian River Drive is a private road. City officials indicated an update could be released Thursday.
After initially declining to comment at the scene because the roadway is privately owned, the City of Palm Bay later released a statement saying it has been actively working with the Palm Bay Estates Homeowners Association to reach an agreement on repairing the infrastructure.
City officials said they will continue searching for available resources to assist the Palm Bay Estates HOA with the project.
No timeline for permanent repairs was announced.
No injuries were reported, and repairs to the roadway remained underway Wednesday evening.