Imperial Lakes could see work started on short-term flooding relief this weekend

Polk County Commission Chairman George Lindsey says a there could be some relief soon for persistent flooding problems in Imperial Lakes that have blocked roads and kept some residents from their homes.

A short-term fix could be accomplished within eight weeks, while the long-term solution is expected by summer or fall of next year, he said by phone Wednesday. That result followed his meeting with key staff Tuesday after the regularly scheduled Polk County Commission meeting in Bartow.

“I shared with them some of my comments and conversations,” Lindsey said. He called the process a “delicate balance.”

“Several property owners have expressed a willingness to work with us to address the issue,” he said. “We've had very, very preliminary conversations with some of the folks at the (Southwest Florida) Water Management District, and there's really two issues.”

Capturing the water is one of them, and potentially causing more flooding problems downstream is another. Currently, the water eventually exits the subdivision via Poley Creek and that waterway passes through other subdivisions.

"We can't trade one problem for another,” he said. “We’ve got to be careful of downstream impacts, and we’ve got to be sensitive to that.

“So, the conversations are encouraging,” Lindsey said. “The staff certainly has the instructions from the board. Let's find an effective interim solution, while we simultaneously work on a long-term, permanent solution.”

The long-term solution would include a design and engineering process utilizing about 10 acres recently purchased by Polk County for the project.

“I would hope that we would have at least a concept of an interim solution in the next six or eight weeks,” Lindsey said. “Actually, seeing dirt being moved in the next eight weeks.”

The Polk County director of roads and drainage, Jeff Jarvis, said via email Thursday that work should be visible by Friday.

“The County is scheduled to start doing maintenance on the ditch beside Belmont tomorrow morning (Friday) and working thru the weekend,” he said.

“We are also looking at pumping options and excavating temporary ponds on the 10 Acres,” Jarvis said. “We are setting up a meeting with the SWFWMD to discuss pumping and temporary ponds.”

The short term fixes are in response to a concerted effort by residents of Imperial Lakes, who have been vocal at commission meetings since June.

Resident Teresa Christie of Starburst Court in Mulberry said residents have asked for months for a solution to the flooding, but still there has been no progress.

At the dais during Tuesday’s meeting, she fired off health and safety concerns caused by three feet of water blocking safe passage by most vehicles on Imperial Lakes Boulevard on Aug. 31.

“I don't know if you guys realize the severity of this, some of the people that were not able to get home,” she said.

Christie said she knew of a veteran with PTSD and a sick child who needed their prescriptions but could not receive them because they or their family were unable to get the medications to their loved ones. They were forced to stay at a hotel or camped out in the Publix parking lot at the entrance to the massive subdivision containing 10,000 people. Some missed work the next day.

Christie also said her mother was elderly, and should she require a paramedic, none would be able to traverse the flood to respond.

“God forbid my 81-year-old mother that lives five doors down from me needed an ambulance,” she said. “An ambulance was not getting through.”

In June she said, “We were told there was really nothing that could be done about it, even though this has been ongoing for over 20 years.

“I don't understand how there's not a fix.” Christie said. “We can't wait 18 months. What are we going to do about this? And something has to be done.”

County officials said in June that there was no immediate fix to the problems, and they had suggested they might try to expedite a longer-term fix that's set to be completed in the summer or fall of 2024.

The commissioners had said they would reach out to the homeowners association of Belmont Park, a small neighborhood within Imperial Lakes that is near the flood-prone area, to see if the association could dredge a retention pond and a drainage ditch.

“There's a question about Belmont with the retention pond that was supposed to be looked into in June. Not sure whether it was or not,” Christie said.

The earliest homes in Imperial Lakes were built 50 years ago at a time when state and Polk County regulations did not exist to regulate potential impacts of stormwater runoff.

Jarvis told the commission in June that there is a $15 million Imperial Lakes Boulevard Drainage Improvement project in the works to address stormwater issues in the housing development.

In an email Thursday, Susanna Martinez Tarokh, public information officer for Swiftmud said, “We continue to coordinate with Polk County staff to discuss interim solutions to alleviate flooding during future rainfall events.“

“The County is also proposing a drainage improvement project that will include a new retention pond with improvements to the piping system that conveys stormwater flows from the roadway,” she said.  “The County anticipates submitting an Environmental Resource Permit application for this project in March 2024.”

In the meantime, Polk County, the HOA or Imperial Lakes residents can propose certain activities under the state of emergency declared by Swiftmud, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the governor’s office for the duration of the order issued during Hurricane Idalia, which expires Oct. 25, Tarokh said.

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“For example, if the flooding threatens the safety of surrounding property, structures, stormwater management systems, works, and impoundments and also poses immediate danger to public health, safety, and welfare, then the District could work with the local government to authorize emergency pumping,” she said. “However, we would need to ensure the emergency pumping would not cause impacts on someone else or another lake, etc.”

Polk County, the HOA or residents would have to contact Swiftmud to initiate those actions, she said. “To date, we have not received any requests for emergency actions.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Imperial Lakes residents could see relief from flooding in weeks