Letters of Objection to SJRWMD - 2022

The comments below are examples of objections submitted by residents to the St John's River Water Management District, in 2022. Comments have been lightly edited for clarity.

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I am VERY concerned about this project- never mind the fact that the road ISN'T NECESSARY- I have attached pictures of what my road already looks like in bad weather- that canal gets full and my street is so flooded that my kids can kayak in the road?!?!? This is ridiculous the impact that pumping MORE WATER into that canal is going to have on the residents here. I know it was denied last time and should be denied again.

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Good afternoon,

Regarding the permit for project 162867-2. I live on Sylvia Road and have owned my home there since 2009. During that time, I have very much enjoyed watching the wildlife in and around the canal that my home backs up to. One thing that I have not always enjoyed was the fact that I have seen this canal full several times and have seen it breech into my yard and others, once coming within five feet of my home. This actually prompted me to purchase floor insurance each year despite not being in a 'flood zone'. I fear that with the construction of a road on the west side of the canal that it will only lead to additional flooding scenarios. Please, please consider the citizens that would most be impacted by this flooding. While insurance will cover some damage it will not cover all. I am just a humble West Melbourne homeowner and lifelong Floridian that only wishes to not go broke by potential flooding from this project to accommodate those who have lived without the road this long.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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All prior letters need to be reviewed as part of his vetting process.

It has been falsely stated in West Melbourne City Council meetings that all lots drain to the front of the
property. The facts are that drawings show lots that would boarder the Heritage Oaks extension actually
drain behind the property. Again, this green space for drainage would be replaced by a concrete road.
Also, a lot of trees would be destroyed in this project. West Melbourne needs to retain green space.
Trees also help reduce flooding risks by soaking up water from the ground.

The road provides no practical value as cars can take Henry Blvd and reach the same destinations as
this extension. There is an existing way to travel on Wickham and Henry. The exact same traffic that is
at Wickham and heritage Oaks Blvd would meet again at Doherty and Henry. Only this time instead of
having one consistent traffic flow, there would be a congested intersection where traffic would back up.
Any engineer can confirm there is no traffic flow and this would actually make traffic flow worse on Henry.

Spending $2M to kill trees, flood a neighborhood, and worsen traffic flow is totally illogical. We have
confidence common sense will prevail and this permit will be rejected.

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The impact on the wildlife including a scrub jay population is not worth the destruction.
Stop this now.

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The soil study said this would cause several neighborhoods to flood in the event of a
25-year storm which is happening more frequently due to climate change. Please stop this permit
process and end the possibility of the road that was designed poorly 2 decades ago, too much
property loss for no true benefit.

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I have concerns.

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NO NO NO.

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This permit application should be rejected.

Residents have had bad experiences with flooding in recent times. After Irma, the Doherty Pond was cresting, and pumping was barely able to keep up with it. The canal east of The Preserve was also cresting, along with the walking path next to it. In the city's plan, all the stormwater which would land on the new road, plus what would land in adjacent backyards along the Heritage Oaks Blvd, will be dumped into this same canal. If we have a storm similar to Tropical Storm Fay, and the area is already totally saturated, the runoff from the new road will result in over a million additional gallons of water being dumped into that already-flooded canal!

The detention pond that is supposed to detain all that runoff is almost a mile from the new road, and the route of the canal to the detention pond runs immediately adjacent to many housing areas:

Hollywood Estates, Eastwood Two, Clifton Edge, Clements Woods, Compass Pointe, and Palm

Lake Estates, putting them all at risk too.

In any major storm, pumps fail, power fails, generators fail. The drains, canals, and pipes get

clogged by debris. The longer the route (in this case, almost a mile), the greater the probability of

blockage. If there are back-to-back storms, and city resources are stretched to the breaking point,

debris from the first storm will not be cleared before the second storm.

There are also issues with the standards. The system is designed for a nominal 25-year storm. It is widely understood that extreme rainfall events have become commonplace (there have been more than twenty-four "500-year" rain events since 2010), so a much stronger standard is needed. We understand that there is ongoing work in this area, but until the standard can be updated, some special precautions are needed. In a case like this, when a new road is to be put in immediately adjacent to many dense housing areas, and the detention pond is remote from the new construction, a reasonable approach would be to require that the system should be designed to deal with something like two back-to-back 150-year storms. Lacking that, it is hard to see how citizens can have much confidence in the effectiveness of the design.

A quick look at the history of the project further erodes our faith in the design. There have been too

many errors, too many omissions.

• The stormwater permit application for the lakes in The Preserve, Eastwood One, and Eastwood

Two contained a serious error and should not have been approved. The error was not found for

five years! Meanwhile, for five years, residents were unaware that their stormwater systems did

not meet the requirements.

• When the City Council was briefed on the history of the permitting process, the briefing neatly

sidestepped the five-year gap story.

• The City Council was given incorrect information about the drainage of the backyards adjacent to

the new road, which made the design task seem simpler than it was in reality.

• The backyard drainage information was required as part of the original permit request, but the city

did not submit it until many months after the original submission, when specifically requested by SJRWMD.

• The city submitted a design (eventually withdrawn) that did not include any measures to attenuate the stormwater flow, despite having declared that flood prevention is our "priority one", and despite having promised not to make the flood risk worse for residents.

•The pump used to prevent flooding of the Doherty Pond is being replaced. In the process, the city revealed that the pump is 24 years old, has been sitting outside for 20 years, has not been well maintained, and can't be counted on.

In short, the stormwater system was designed for the moderate rainfall events of the past, not the

kinds of extreme storms we are now seeing; it has no local detention pond of any kind, leaving

many housing areas vulnerable to flooding, especially during back-to-back storms; and its history

suggests lack of attention to detail, leaving us with little confidence.

In light of the above, I am requesting that SJRWMD review this application with the larger context

in mind, and with meticulous attention to assumptions and details.

I recommend that the permit be disapproved.

For further information, see this website: https://www.saynotodoherty.com/

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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Multiple letters of objection were submitted previously and not attached to this application. The exact same project was submitted previously and rejected in April 2021.

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I do not support this project. Please reconsider allowing this.

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I am sad to find out this development is being considered again. We have a peaceful

neighborhood, no problems with traffic getting out of our community in Heritage Oaks, and want to

preserve the little nature that is left around our community. We also have displaced wildlife that

finds this area their only home. Sandhill cranes, families of foxes, hawks, just to name a few.

Developing this strip of land to make it a road will not only increase traffic but will increase noise

and decrease the beauty of our wonderful community. Please do not pass this extension.

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I oppose this permit. I do not believe that the road will be sufficiently impactful enough

to traffic to be worth the environmental and drainage damage. Even reviewing the ecological

assessment I can see that they absolutely are leaving out a few varieties of animals that live back

there. For example, Osprey is listed as protected on the Brevard County website and is not

listed as impacted, I have photographs of them being in the area being discussed. We also

regularly see Wood Storks, Eagles and Sandhill Cranes in the area. I have photographs of Wood

Storks in the area being discussed as well. In addition to those protected species, we regularly see

long necked turtles which I believe are protected under the Marine Turtle Protection Act, I have

photographs of these as well. There are even some nesting hawks back there too, which if I'm not

mistaken would be protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The same goes with Great Blue

Herons, which we also regularly see.

I don't believe it is worth cutting down and building over every area in the county for the sake of

doing it. Attending the city council meetings certainly didn't lend the impression that this would

make any meaningful impact, it would simply take away even more habitat in an area already

rapidly losing it. We should try to protect what we have, and make meaningful infrastructure

changes that minimize the damage. I will attach several photographs in a zip file, leaving their

EXIF data intact so the location data is accessible.

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I oppose this due to the negative impact it would have on the flora, fauna, and drainage. The gains are not worth the displacement of many protected species from hawks and osprey to the storks and cranes. Thank you.

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This project would have a negative effect on local wildlife.

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Why does the city want to spend millions of dollars on a road that most of the affected

residents don’t want, and that won’t have an impact on traffic flow? A better and less expensive option that would help traffic flow would be to add a turn lane on northbound Minton Road at the Henry Avenue intersection.

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This road would displace multiple species of wildlife, including birds, turtles and snakes.

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We do not want this road. People already race on Heritage Oaks Boulevard. We would have no benefit from the extension except more traffic and noise.

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This will cause flooding into the yards and houses that back up to the canal

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Comments: I am a long-standing resident of West Melbourne in Heritage Oaks. I am concerned
about the loss of habitat for many native species such as mature oak trees and endangered
gopher tortoises seen regularly in that area. This project will also increase traffic and noise
pollution in the backyards of many West Melbourne residents. Finally, I have significant concerns
regarding the effects on storm drainage in the vicinity of my property; sometimes the drainage is
very poor around the homes in this area already. I fail to see how this benefits the community in any
way. Please understand our concerns. Thank you!

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Comments: I am opposed to the extension of Heritage Oaks Blvd and Doherty. Opening up the
Heritage Oaks neighborhoods to thru traffic will also open us up to increased traffic, speeding and
crime. Drivers will speed down those roads endangering walkers, bike riders and children.

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Comments: My wife and I live in The Preserve at Heritage Oaks adjacent to the canal that extends
across Henry Ave, parallel to Dougherty Dr. our concern is the water that flows out of the canal
during hard rains and especially during Hurricane season. If the area behind our house is paved
then the rain water will be left with absolutely no where to go except further into our backyard’s.
This goes without bringing up the wildlife that is currently along the canal. Where exactly does the
wildlife in West Melbourne have left where it can live peacefully. Everything is either being built on
or paved over. Once this green space we currently enjoy is gone it cannot be replaced. I have
enclosed 3 photos of the water in our backyard, only 10 feet from our pool during the latest
hurricane. Much more rain or lack of drainage then our pool will be flooded and then our house will
also be exposed to the overflow because the proposed road will block what little drainage we have left. I ask that the permit to build the Heritage Oaks/Doherty extension be denied because of
flooding and the demise of the wildlife currently there. Thanks so much!!

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Comments: In 35 years I’ve had water intrusion in my garage twice due to poor drainage.

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This a waste of money and bad idea! No need for this

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As a structural engineer, please don't flood us for not paying attention to fluid dynamics. You've had enough evidence throughout the years to terminate this project entirely based on flood, soil, and storm runoff. Please do not allow!

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Photos of flooding that takes place in the path of the proposed Doherty extension road. Green space is needed to hold all of this water. Houses will be flooded after storms if a road is added here.

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Overdevelopment will kill our lifestyle

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Our road will not support the additional traffic. The best solution to help reduce traffic in the area is a turn lane from Minton onto Henry freeing up Northbound Minto traffic. Problem solved

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Here are more videos and pictures of flooding- there is no way that this road is NOT gonna cause more flooding? Anyone with common sense can see that the benefits of this "cut through" road DO NOT outweigh the damage caused to all of the residents around it- not to mention to effect it will have on our property values as well. It's bad enough that all of us on Sylvia Rd are losing our backyard space as the soil washes away and West Melbourne does nothing....this just doesn't make sense. I bought in a "NO FLOOD ZONE" so I didn't have the additional expense of flood insurance but with this coming, I will have no choice. Please do not allow this.

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I frequently visit the area and after a moderate rain there are "lakes" of water sitting on top of the grass. Removing the foliage may cause a flooding issue for any road in that area, and to the homes that will be on the road.

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I do not support this project

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There is no way this permit should be approved. Anytime we have a significant amount of rain our backyard past our pool is covered with water. The water has nowhere to go now and if there is a road put in the water has absolutely no where to go.

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I vehemently oppose this proposed project. I do not understand why the city would entertain the idea of destroying existing greenspace in a peaceful and beautiful community by adding an unnecessary road. For what? A short-cut to Henry Ave? If this is the rationale being used, then it is too high of a price for the perceived benefit.

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Over the past couple of years there have been discussions and presentations at our Home Owners
Association Board of Directors meeting concerning the proposed extension of Heritage Oaks Boulevard
to Doherty Drive and possibly all the way to Hollywood Boulevard. The concerns most often mentioned were negative and I do not recall any that were positive.

Heritage Oaks Boulevard is the entranceway into five separate subdivisions. The only traffic that
presently utilizes Heritage Oaks Boulevard are homeowners, their guests or merchants that are
providing services. We have no through traffic and our neighborhoods are very quiet.

As we understand it, if the City of West Melbourne proceeds with any of their proposed extensions of
Heritage Oaks Boulevard it will have a large and negative effect on the atmosphere of our
neighborhoods. We will experience a large amount of traffic from vehicles outside of our area that we
have never experienced before. Along with the additional vehicles will be the noise associated with
their operation. All of this will negatively affect the property values of some of the most sought-after
homes in West Melbourne. We feel that the City of West Melbourne is getting ready to disrupt five
separate subdivisions to serve people and vehicles from outside of our area with nothing but negative
impacts on the residents presently living here.

At the August 1, 2022 meeting of the Woodfield at Heritage Oaks HOA Board of Directors meeting,
representing one hundred fifty (150) property owners, the Board unanimously approved a motion to have the President write a letter to the West Melbourne City Manager expressing our concern and disapproval of the proposed extensions of Heritage Oaks Boulevard.

The purpose of this letter is to convey to you the concern of the property owners in the Woodfield at
Heritage Oaks subdivision and to request that you stop all actions related to this proposed extension.

Sincerely,

President, Woodfield at Heritage Oaks Boulevard
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I oppose this project environmentally, safety and drainage issues. This project removes green space and does not solve or alleviate traffic concerns.

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Comments: I oppose this project because the extent of impervious surfaces that will replace
recharge green space is surely going to impact the ability of the area to retain and store storm
waters. I saw how tropical storm Fay inundated all of West Melbourne and this area need to stay a
recharge/storage green space. Having this cut through road system all but guarantees property
damage at some time. Having a green space corridor recharge area is far more valuable than
being able to save a few seconds travel time. Future generations will be thankful that trees and
green areas have been saved to benefit from. It would have been so nice if the lagoon had had
some stewardship in the not too distant past.3 Caracaras have recently made an appearance
hunting in the neighborhood and I'm sure they also frequent the canal area, Please see the value
in green space over pavement. Thank you.

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Comments: This application indicates the area is a wetland. However, the W. Melbourne town
council memo of Friday Aug. 26th, 2022 told residents that, "…environmental studies show that no wetlands … will be impacted." So which is it?
I'd think that eliminating green spaces, chopping down trees, and laying down pavement definitely
impacts the wetland. Would you concur?
I'd appreciate an answer to this question now, because if the Council is under the wrong
impression, and therefore mis-informing residents, I'd like to be able to address that with residents
and the Council now, without waiting for the permit decision. Can you please advise by responding
to my email? Many thanks.

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Comments: Do not build this extension. It will reduce the value of all the homes in the five affected
communities and reduce city tax revenues while attracting lower income residents and the attendant problems they bring. Additionally, it would require the removal of many trees which absorb CO2, create oxygen, cool the area with their shade and absorb surrounding noise from traffic.

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Comments: I am opposed to this extension for many reasons that include but are not limited to the
following: I do not think this would have anything other than negative affects on our wetlands, our
threatened species & nature, safety concerns for our residents, traffic, crime, home values & our
quality of peaceful living. I absolutely believe that the extension of Doherty is unnecessary and
unreasonable! Please do NOT grant this permit!

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Comments: East bound traffic heads directly at the canal, great design. I am sure no one will ever

over run the curve and crash in to the ditch, brilliant. Oh, wait we can extend the guard rail, that

now becomes West Melbourne new "crash test barrier". Now let’s look at the southbound traffic,

Oops didn't quite make that right angle turn welcome to the back yard of the Eastwood resident.

More "crash test barrier" needed. Road not wanted, bad design, bad for the environment.

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Comments: An increase in traffic would not benefit the local residents and myself. I also do not like

the idea of trees being cut down for new roads, the preexisting routes should suffice.

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Comments: PROTECTED ENDANGERED CARACARA bird family breeding in these trees. I have photographic proof this time. You may not have seen my scrub jay passing through, but we have seen this Caracara family for years in this area. It won't take much to find their nest. They have

been squeezed out enough already. These birds are protected and endangered. I have notified

The Eagle Conservancy of America and FWC. Please do NOT issue this permit. I took the

attached picture November 28th, 2022 on the tallest house on Lune Ct. Witnessed 1 fly from the

tall pines across the retention pond and onto this roof top where the one on the right mounted the

one in the middle. ACTIVE BREEDING ACTIVITY in this area. They are protected. PLEASE begging you to not issue this permit. The stormwater studies, the soil studies, and the traffic studies have concluded no benefit, and this Caracara family is sealing the deal. You cannot further endanger the endangered protected bird family. Please and Happy Holidays.

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Comments: A Bald Eagle lives in the projected path of the Doherty extension. Photographs are attached to document this fact. A permit should not be issued. Other residents have seen other endangered species as well. The prior wildlife review was not sufficient since these findings were not documented.

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Comments: I am totally opposed to the Doherty extension. Car's already speed on this road at various hours of the day/night. We have enough congestion with the communities that abut Heritage Oaks Blvd. If you open this road it will be nothing more then a short cut for all traffic in all directions thinking they can shave off a few minutes or beat a traffic light. You would be better served to think about expanding Henry road or Eber. Eber would be the best as it could connect all the way to Babcock. We have many children that walk and ride their bikes to school. It will be very dangerous to proceed with this extension. You will need multiple traffic lights as well as speed bumps or post a permanent Police Officer. Its just wrong on all levels. We already have so much traffic this will make the problem worse. What happened to making sure the infrastructure was in place prior to allowing these developers to go in build every square inch of green ground. It is horrible what is being done to the once desired West Melbourne. Please I implore all of you to come up with a different option then the Heritage Oaks Boulevard/Doherty Drive Extension. Thank you

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Comments: Please do not approve this project. I live in a home that backs up to the canal and I have seen the canal breach which makes flooding a major concern for us. Additionally, people and animals have walked the trail along that canal for many years and enjoy the wildlife and trees. Traffic is also a concern at the intersection of Doherty and Henry is it already backs up from Hollywood past Sylvia at certain times of the day, another light would certainly only cause to the congestion. Please, please leave this little bit of untouched environment in place for many more generations to enjoy. Thank you.

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This is a letter of objection against project 162867-2. The extension of Heritage Oaks and Doherty Dr. will cause major flooding issues in the Heritage Oaks Community. Photo evidence from basic storms shows that ample drainage is not available. Area this is currently green space to hold water will turn into concrete and cause more flooding on properties and existing roadways. Projections provided by the city of West Melbourne are not reputable. The city provided failed projections that have caused flooding in Westbrook. The city's failed academic exercises of creating engineering drawings cannot be trusted based on past failures. Many residents have expressed these concerns in prior letters of objection that need to be reviewed from 2021. The city submitted a plan in 2021 that was rejected by SJWMD and the city pulled the application as a stunt to detach the past letters of objection and submit a clean application. All prior letters need to be reviewed as part of his vetting process. It has been falsely states in West Melbourne City Council meetings that all lots drain to the front of the property. The facts are that drawings show lots that would border the Heritage Oaks extension actually drain behind the property. Again, this green space for drainage would be replaced by a concrete road. Also, a lot of trees would be destroyed in this project. West Melbourne needs to retain green space. Trees also help reduce flooding risks by soaking up water from the ground. The road provides no practical value as cars can taken Henry Blvd and reach the same destinations as this extension. There is an existing way to travel on Wickham and Henry. The exact same traffic that is at Wickham and heritage Oaks Blvd would meet again at Doherty and Henry. Only this time instead of having one consistent traffic flow, there would be a congested intersection where traffic would back up. Any engineer can confirm there is no traffic flow and this would actually make traffic flow worse on Henry. Spending $2M to kill trees, flood a neighborhood, and worsen traffic flow is totally illogical. We have confidence common sense will prevail and this permit will be rejected.

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Comments: This would require tearing out the native habitat of birds and animals including the Caracara bird. It would also put unneeded congestion on yet another neighborhood street without resolving traffic issues. The streets that already run east to west should be improved to support more traffic. Also, my opinion, people need to adjust expectations to drive another few blocks to get to a thru street rather than upsetting already established neighborhoods to fulfill their wishes.

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Comments: I oppose the extension as I believe it will cause too much disruption to existing habitats for animals and also cause excessive traffic unnecessarily.

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Comments: I have serious concerns about this road extension as it will be built directly next to a drainage canal. Presently there is consistently high levels of water in the canal when the area receives rain. Additionally, the properties opposite of the proposed extension area are beginning to see increased erosion due to the larger amount of water flowing. Adding the extension will only INCREASE the amount of water in the canal and exacerbate the already existing issues.

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Comments: The Preserve at Heritage Oaks opposed this application as documented in the

attached letter that was sent to City Council.

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Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:

Kindly consider this as a notification that the Board of Directors of The Preserve at Heritage Oaks Homeowner Association unanimously oppose the proposed Heritage Oaks Boulevard/Doherty Drive extension.

Here are a few of the reasons we are against this proposed project:

• The original proposed extension was only part of the broader plan that included other roadways that are no longer available due to the development of land needed for the overall plan.

• The current Heritage Oaks ‘one way in, one way out’ configuration is a tremendous deterrent to crime as the police can easily block criminals from leaving Heritage Oaks after criminal activity is reported. A retired police officer that lives in the Preserve admitted that ‘one way in, one way out’ attracted him and his family to living in this subdivision.

• The occurrence of speeding and other dangerous driving on Heritage Oaks Boulevard will be greatly

enhanced due to a dramatic increase of commercial and private vehicles.

• Sidewalks on Heritage Oaks Boulevard are very close to the roadway and are used by the residents such as parents with children, some with strollers enjoying safe casual walks. The same sidewalks are used by children walking or biking to and from school. This road would become much more dangerous if this project is allowed to happen.

• Additional police and other first responder resources would be necessary to manage the increased traffic flow, speeding, congestion, and the inevitable increase in vehicle collisions, vehicle/bicycle collisions, and the pedestrian/vehicle collisions.

• With the current road configuration in Heritage Oaks, the City of West Melbourne has a safe, highly

desirable residential community.

We greatly appreciate the outstanding manner in which the City Council of West Melbourne serves best interests of our community on a daily basis.

Thank you very much for your consideration of our views regarding this proposed project.

Preserve at Heritage Oaks Homeowners Association Board of Directors

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Comments: I have several concerns about this project.

* I feel there would be severe flooding consequences related to this project and promised
mitigating efforts if the extension was approved are unreliable as past history has shown in other
areas. There will be real problems with water surge if we experience a strong storm such as a
hurricane.

* The land bordering the Preserve and Eastwood subdivisions is extremely narrow and
construction would back right up into the back yards of the homes there which would surely have
negative consequences not only on home values, but also overall quality of life for these
residences.

* There are grave safety concerns regarding increased traffic on Heritage Oaks Blvd. Speeding is
inevitable and a danger to children and pedestrians, mainly by those using it as a shortcut to save
perhaps five minutes at most. We already have issues with speeding in Heritage Oaks.

* This area is refuge to several types of wildlife. Preserving it should be something of paramount
importance especially when destruction of habitats in the area is rampant with exploding
development. Also, I fear that if the extension is approved, wildlife will be pushed into the affected
neighborhoods which could prove a safety concern.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please, do not allow this project to move forward.

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Also, please see this letter of objection which is published on a separate page due to its length:

Letter of Objection

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