Milton floods saturate Shipbuilders Village

For five years, during heavy rainfall, Milton’s Shipbuilders Village has flooded, covering resident John Meade’s front steps and his car in knee-high runoff.

In May, Milton Mayor Don Post sent a letter to Shipbuilders residents saying the problem would soon be solved. The letter says the town had obtained necessary easements and piping to remove water near the condos and town homes in the back of the development.

Meade says despite the letter, nothing has been done to solve the problem.

At a Monday, Sept. 14 town meeting, Meade vented his frustrations to council. “This is getting beyond ridiculous. When I come to the town for help, they put me on the back burner,” he said.

Meade, who lives on South Spinnaker Lane, said he’s spent thousands of dollars landscaping his yard – money wasted as his brick walkways cracked under stagnant water and expensive landscaping timbers floated out of place. “When you do all this to make things look nice, and it floods and ruins it, you lose your initiative,” he said.

Over the years, he says, property values have declined because of flooding. Renters have increased – some of them drug dealers. Police response further disrupts the development northwest of town. Other owners have moved out, he said.

“Really, a lot of neighbors are renters. It’s been crazy. The people across the street were busted for drugs and moved out. The people next door were busted – they were drug dealers. It just looks like crack alley. Beautiful three-story town homes with roads like that are horrible,” said Meade.

According to Post’s letter, “The town has obtained all the necessary easements required to place the storm water pipe.”

Work was supposed to begin in June. “The project will start at Wagamon’s Pond and end at South Spinnaker Lane. The work on the storm drainage piping is expected to last one month,” the letter says. Officials also said after work is completed, a contractor would start work on final street paving.

The letter continues: “I know this problem is not coming to a conclusion soon enough for many of you. However, as mayor, I made a promise to the Shipbuilders property owners and residents that I would see this project through to the end. The end is now in sight, and I am pleased to report the progress to you.”

After the letter went out, Post said he learned a former town attorney failed to secure proper easements. Officials thought the legal permits were in place to pump water off of Shipbuilders Village onto neighboring property of the Holly Lake development behind the flooded property.

Post said when he was elected mayor in 2006, he also acquired the Shipbuilders problem. “The bottom line is I have sympathized with this issue, but it is an issue I inherited. It is not my fault the attorney did not do what he should have done,” said Post.

He said town officials are in discussion with Richard F. Rago, a Wilmington-based attorney who handles legal affairs for Holly Lake. “We are pursuing it. It’s in our legal hands right now. If we have to move forward toward eminent domain in a reasonable way, we will do so. I know it’s been an ongoing problem,” said Post. Calls to Rago were not returned at press time.

Post also said he had received a letter from other residents, who own two properties in the worst part of Shipbuilders Village’s flooded area. Post said the letter commends his attention to the matter, but the Cape Gazette has yet to receive a copy of it.

The town has invested $10,000 for a pump to alleviate the flooding. Post also said the town addressed lighting in the back of the development. “What those residents need is a homeowners association. It’s in their deed,” said Post.

Despite town pledges to resolve the problem, Meade said he is tired of getting soaked. “I have to roll my pants above my knees on the way to work. I carry my shoes just to get to my car,” he said.