EDGEWATER, Fla. – The Edgewater City Council unanimously approved a settlement agreement with developer Lennar Monday night, greenlighting a scaled-back housing project that promises enhanced flood control measures.
The settlement comes after the city attempted to block construction of hundreds of new homes in flood-prone areas, leading to legal action from the developer.
“What we’ve seen tonight was a win. All we wanted to begin with was for them to add more stormwater and more retention areas, and that’s exactly what they’re doing,” said Mayor DePew.
However, some residents remain skeptical about the development’s impact on existing flood issues. Local resident Joe Ryan, who recently experienced significant flooding, voiced his concerns during the council meeting.
“There’s 4 feet of water in front of my house two rainstorms ago,” Ryan said. “Let’s figure out where the problem is, what the problem is. I’m all for development and growing, but let’s not hurt the people that have been living here to do it.”
While city officials tout the scaled-back plan as a victory, documents show these modifications, including fewer homes and improved flood control measures, were already planned before the lawsuit.
During the meeting, council members and the mayor criticized City Attorney Aaron Wolfe for not including resident testimony in the lawsuit, citing their lack of expert status.
“The fact that he came back and said those people weren’t experts- I’m not an expert mayor,” DePew noted, expressing frustration with Wolfe.
Some residents, including Ryan, remain unconvinced about enforcement mechanisms.
When asked about accountability measures, Ryan expressed continued skepticism but acknowledged there may be time to strengthen oversight: “No, I’m not comfortable, but I think we have time to work on it.”
The development project will proceed with the new flood control requirements, though specific details about the number of homes and timeline were not immediately available.