JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Arlington Hills homeowners on Woolery Drive off of Merrill Road may soon get relief after dealing with street flooding for at least a year.
News4JAX heard back from the city regarding the matter and they said the delay was due to a supply and demand issue.
According to the city, “The system collects stormwater from Woolery Drive and directs it south, under Arble Drive into another rear lot drainage outfall that then directs stormwater east, under Mill Creek Road to Strawberry Creek. Public Works has been working on this project and developed a plan that reconstructs the culvert that crosses under Arble Road to eliminate stormwater flow restriction.”
Construction has been delayed because of supply issues, the city said. A new culvert will be received in August and then work can begin.
News4JAX first reported on this problem a year ago. Some neighbors say they feel like they’re getting the run around and this area is not a flood zone.
Last year, the city told us the problem would be fixed but 11 months later residents said the flooding hasn’t stopped. It’s been so bad that some people bought flood insurance even though they don’t live in a flood zone.
In the past week, Woolery Drive in Arlington Hills was flooded by heavy rain and water reached people’s front yards and front doors.
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Dennis Thibault has lived in the neighborhood for 42 years and reached out to us last summer about the flooding. He thought some progress was being made.
“The city said they were going to replace the culvert on Arble and they marked it out last September and haven’t touched it,” Thibault said.
Thibault said he and his wife have flood insurance even though they don’t live in a flood zone because flooding is so bad. They’ve seen crews come and clear debris, but say it’s not enough.
Victor Dionisio doesn’t have flood insurance because it’s too expensive, so he does what he can to protect his property with sandbags.
“That’s why I always prepare a sandbag in front of my house because of the flooding,” Dionisio said. “Every season that I have been here, I’ve lived here for 44 years, that’s one of my main problems when it’s hurricane season.”
The city said the second phase of the project to improve the reconstruction of the Mill Creek Road crossing is under design for replacement as well.