Many residents in Sebastian say their yards are flooding because of “sloppy engineering” from new home construction. They want to take their complaints to Wednesday night’s City Council meeting.
Newer homes are on higher ground, which existing homeowners say is causing severe runoff in their yards and, in some cases, damage to their properties.
The discussion has been hot on social media hoping to find a solution to the problem.
“This is a VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, resulting in thousands of dollars in expenses to homeowners already established, through no fault of their own,” a Sebastian resident wrote on social media.
These homeowners are looking for a solution to the problem as they are paying to fix a problem they say was caused by the new builder. As city officials hear these ongoing complaints, they are working to develop solutions.
“This is an important issue for many of us, and it is important to understand that there is not a one size fits all solution. With that being said, we are working diligently to come up with some solutions. Those solutions may include the builders, the existing homeowners, and the City,” Vice Mayor Chris Nunn told Sebastian Daily.
Nunn also explained that homeowners have private property rights, so if there isn’t a violation, the City of Sebastian cannot force a neighbor to change how their property drains water. It’s a challenging problem to tackle, and the answers are not easy, Nunn said.
According to Wednesday night’s agenda, the City Council will discuss stormwater codes related to new home construction adjacent to existing properties. If there are new codes, then city officials can enforce them.
There is still a problem with the current damage to homes caused by the new construction. But, again, it may be a case between the property owners, the builder, or the insurance company.
Some property owners told us that discussing the problem with the City Council is a step in the right direction, but they question who’s responsible for damage already caused by runoff.
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