Drainage Improvement Project

Tropical Storm Debby – October 2024
Multiple homes surrounded by floodwater.
Garages and lanais soaked.
Intersections under water.
The potential cost? High. The risk? Rising.

• Property at risk
• Costly repairs
• Liability exposure growing

Weber Engineering — the original drainage designer —

• Re-engaged to reassess the system
• Identified key deficiencies
• Tailored solutions for long-term protection

• Proactive protection
• Smarter stormwater management
• Lower risk, lower costs

Our Task Force is on it — for your safety, your home, and your peace of mind.

As severe weather events become more prevalent, it is imperative for HOA’s and COA’s to identify insufficiencies and hazards in their storm drain systems.

Flood-proofing measures are no longer simply prudent—they are essential to protect homeowners, preserve property values, and safeguard the association’s financial stability.

Weber Engineering surveyed the areas on our property most prone to stormwater pooling, measuring elevations and analyzing land contours in relation to our existing storm drain system.

Their findings are summarized in the report they submitted, which includes specific recommendations to help us mitigate the risk of flooding.

Provide the reasoning and data that demonstrate the necessity to implement these upgrades. This project is not merely an expense — it’s an investment in our safety and protection from catastrophic damage and liability.

• Mitigate the risk of flooding and its impact on property values
• Reduce legal and financial liabilities for the COA
• Serve as a Master Plan — from contractor selection through full implementation

• Extensive due diligence supports our recommended solutions
• Proactive investment now prevents costly consequences later
• This project can be funded without a special assessment

• Mitigate flooding risks by efficiently managing and redirecting excess stormwater
• Address deficiencies in the current drainage system, particularly where upward-sloping terrain has trapped water
• Ensure a reliable outflow route for stormwater to prevent accumulation during excessive rainfall events

• Foundation and structural damage can lead to costly repairs and unsafe living conditions
• Liability may include legal costs, remediation orders, and financial consequences if inaction results in harm
• Marketability suffers — both from actual flooding and the required disclosure of known drainage deficiencies to future buyers*

• Our property features a natural gradient — sloping from higher ground in the northeast to lower areas in the southeast
• Lake Cormorant sits in the lowest-lying area and is especially vulnerable to breaching due to local runoff and storm impact
• In tropical storms, excess rain triggers a cascade of events that causes Cormorant to overflow — spilling into Wilshire Circle East
• Condos along the East Wall are built on elevated slabs, preventing natural water escape from the lake basin
• This creates a bowl-like effect, flooding front and backyards, lanais, patios, and garages
• The flooding starts at WCE/WD and WCE/WC (lowest elevations) and expands outward — affecting many units in the southeast quadrant
• With stormwater having nowhere to go but up, structural flooding becomes inevitable with excessive rain events

• Storm surges in the Gulf can block northern outflow — in extreme cases, they reverse the stormwater flow
• This pushes water backward into Philippi Creek, Mirror Lake, and eventually our retention ponds
• The lowest-lying pond in the southeast quadrant fills rapidly, breaches, and spills into backyards and patios
• As overflow worsens, curbside stormdrains along Wilshire Circle East reverse flow, causing Lake water to pool in the street

• Receive the final report from Weber Engineering
• Send out RFPs (Requests for Proposals) and SOWs (Statements of Work) to selected contractors
  (per Weber’s recommendations and Sandy’s vetted list)
• Taskforce meets to review contractor bids, costs, and implementation options
• Create a visual summary (table or chart) comparing proposed solutions
• Present final recommendation to the Board and put to vote if needed
• Maintain regular updates to the Board and community throughout the process

This project safeguards residents, preserves property values, and strengthens the association’s financial health.

We respectfully count on the Board’s approval of the proposed plan — and the authorization of funding as outlined .