County warns homeowners that Geneva flood mitigation project could be shelved

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Some residents in Geneva say they are concerned about continuous flooding in the unincorporated town within Seminole County.

While county officials say millions of dollars have already been spent to study the issue, a planned fix is at a standstill — and if a consensus amongst homeowners isn't reached, it may be shelved altogether.

Ultimately, the county leaders said the project can’t move forward without full corporation from residents who live on Whitcomb Drive because the project would include construction on private property.

While they needed 100% approval from residents in the affected area to allow the project to continue, county staff said 13 of the 40 property owners decided not to cooperate.

The county sent a notice to affected property owners Monday saying the project was in jeopardy and discussion about its ultimate fate would be added to a future Seminole County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

County officials said the Whitcomb Drive Roadway and Drainage Improvements project would have raised the roads about 2 feet, allowing residents to get out of their flooded driveway as well as expanding the ditches to help with flooding.

Seminole County chief design engineer Dino Lucarelli said if nothing changes in the near future, the project may have to be put on hold indefinitely.

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What You Need To Know

• A Seminole County official says the Whitcomb Drive Roadway and Drainage Improvements project needed full support from residents in order to move forward
• Because the county would need access to private property during the construction, they sent out a notice Monday warning the project's future was in jeopardy because 13 of the 40 affected homeowners declined to cooperate
• If completed, the project is expected to cost around $4.6 million and would have been funded through the county's penny sales tax
• County officials said they needed full cooperation from the affected homeowners, but 13 of the 40 said they were not on board with the project