Wildwood Commission Discusses Potential Solutions to Flooding
August 12, 2024
Wildwood Commission Discusses Potential Solutions to Flooding
Commissioners Vote Against Accepting Additional Water from Commercial Pond
Wildwood officials this morning voted 4-1 to reject accepting additional water from a privately owned stormwater pond that overflowed last week, flooding a nearby residential neighborhood.
“Our number one priority is protecting those residents,” said City Manager Jason McHugh. “We understand the need to continue working with the pond’s owner to rectify the situation, but we do not want to put this or other neighborhoods at undue risk while the best solution is determined.”
Woodlane Meadows resident Mary Wimberly addressed the commission during the meeting’s public forum session, stating she was representing her neighbors in addition to herself. She explained she had never experienced flooding in her longtime home before last week, and that the event was traumatic, causing emotional distress as well as physical damage to her house, yard, and neighborhood.
Commissioners discussed a request from the private pond’s owner, represented by legal counsel, to relocate water from the pond to city property while engineers conduct testing to determine the exact cause and solution to the problem.
City Attorney Ashley Hunt explained he had been in regular communication with owner representatives since last week and raised concerns about the potential to cause additional flooding if the city’s stormwater infrastructure exceeds its capacity through private pond discharge, particularly with additional rainfall predicted.
“We have equipment in place and are well posed to continue assisting residents if and when we get more rain,” McHugh told commissioners. “But our engineers cannot provide certainty that we could accept the proposed discharge without creating the potential for more flooding.”
The commission urged the private pond’s owner to seek other options for water displacement while its engineers analyze and correct the problem.
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