Zephyrhills City Council wants the construction firm handling the Trotter’s Crossing development adjacent to Phelps Road to cease all work until it can solve flooding issues that are causing severe damage to neighboring properties.
Council members voted unanimously to have city attorney Matthew Maggard issue a stop work order against the contractor of the project that is proposed to erect roughly 90 homes on the 30-acre property that sits on the hill at the northern-most part of the city.
The city’s action came after Phelps Road resident Kim Earle showed photos and videos of a “tsunami” of storm water rushing into her home and property from the site of the proposed subdivision during an afternoon storm last week.
Earle saw the damaging flow of water go through her property and onto her neighbor’s property. Site prep work began on the Trotter’s Crossing project recently by the contractor
The photos and videos were enough to convince city council that the project they approved last year, needs to be stopped until a solution to the flooding is implemented.
“The contractor should be here telling us what going to be done to make this right,” said Council Vice President Lance Smith.
Since the flooding at Earle’s home, a wall of dirt has been placed behind many of the Phelps Road properties bordering the subdivision. Earle and Smith fear the massive piles of dirt will be in her yard and house after the next substantial rain storm.
“Why take the dirt off that hill during the rainy season and not build something to catch the water,” Smith said. “It makes no sense.”
“We have to get with that contractor and he has to be accountable,” said Councilman Alan Knight.