Monday, March 23, 2015

Sound familiar? Drainage problems in Holly Hill, FL: fix will cost $28 million

Holly Hill is a city north of Daytona Beach with about one-third the population of Lake Worth. Here from the Daytona Beach News-Journal on infrastructure needs to counter their flooding woes:
     New pump stations, retention ponds and pipe replacements are all part of a comprehensive stormwater master plan to solve Holly Hill’s flooding woes.
     But with a price tag of more than $28 million, city commissioners say it will take some time to put the pieces together — and some outside help.
     “The study was kind of a dream plan,” Commissioner John Capers said. “I think we’re going to try and tackle some of the smaller things.”
For decades, flooding has plagued Holly Hill as well as other municipalities along Volusia’s east coast. City Manager Joe Forte said often when it rains that streets and yards become inundated with water that has no place to go. After a no-name storm dumped up to 25 inches on parts of the small city in 2009, Volusia County property records show 101 single family homes, 22 commercial units and 95 multi-family structures sustained “major” damage and hundreds more were “affected” by the storm.
     One of the main causes outlined in the city’s master plan released last week is the capacity and age of the existing stormwater infrastructure. [emphasis added]
Sound familiar? Interestingly, Holly Hill was incorporated in 1901 and, like the City of Lake Worth, has an aging infrastructure in need of repair. You can read more about Holly Hill here.