Volusia County, Fla. — Happening Monday, Edgewater City leaders are expected to vote to enact a temporary development moratorium.
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We’ve told you about flooding issues that have plagued the city during regular rainstorms. Those issues worsened after Hurricane Milton in October.
Mayor Diezel Depew said the city would update its land development codes, stormwater master plan, and flood vulnerability assessment during the year-long moratorium. He also stated that putting the plans on paper will help Edgewater get support from the state.
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From Hurricane Ian in 2022 to Hurricane Milton two years later and all the regular rainstorms in between, Kim Penny is tired of dealing with flooding.
“Back in Ian, when we flooded, we had four feet inside the house and had to be rescued by tanks, so we have been trying to get them to pay attention to the swales and the flow of the water,” said Penny.
Dozens of neighbors plan to pack city hall Monday wearing t-shirts that say, “Make Edgewater dry again” to show their support for the citywide development moratorium.
Depew shared some short-term plans, such as fixing canals, moving water around and creating more retention ponds. However, he said more long-term solutions must be implemented to resolve the significant issues.
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Depew adds that 12,000 homes have already been approved for the city and wants to ensure that codes are changed before they’re built.
“This is not a new topic in the city. We knew we had an issue, so this is a perfect way to pump the brakes. We are going to see exactly what we have to do with our stormwater master plan, and we don’t know if development is adding to the issues,” said Depew.
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Penny is finally beginning to feel hopeful for the first time in years.
“It’s one of the great things about having a young mayor. People are so intimidated by it, but he is in the ditches, he is on the streets, he is out during the storms trying to help,” said Penny.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. If the moratorium passes, it will go into effect immediately.
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