EDGEWATER, Fla. — Dozens of Edgewater residents showed up at a city council meeting on Monday where leaders held the first reading of ordinances involving development moratoriums.

This comes after repeated flooding issues from past rain events and especially hurricanes.

What You Need To Know

  • On Monday night, the City of Edgewater had the first of two readings of a development moratorium

  • This comes after residents have experienced repeated flooding issues from past rain events and especially hurricanes

  • One of the ordinances states a temporary residential citywide moratorium on annexations, rezoning’s, zoning PUDs, amendments, comprehensive plan amendments, site plans, preliminary plats, and final plats – with some commercial and industrial exclusions

  • Another one would prohibit issuing building permits that would increase impervious surfaces – surfaces where water won’t absorb into the ground - specifically within the Florida Shores drainage basin area

The council voted unanimously to move forward on the proposals, and even with the council vote, those in attendance were divided over the issues raised.

One of the ordinances states a temporary residential citywide moratorium on annexations, rezoning’s, zoning PUDs, amendments, comprehensive plan amendments, site plans, preliminary plats, and final plats – with some commercial and industrial exclusions.

Another one would prohibit issuing building permits that would increase impervious surfaces – surfaces where water won’t absorb into the ground - specifically within the Florida Shores drainage basin area.

Some residents who talked during public comment expressed their support for the moratorium.

“It’s a very hard decision to make, but it’s a decision that needs to be made,” Edgewater resident Heather Bendl said.

She said no matter what type of development, any new construction will make the problem worse.

“If we put any more cement on the soil, the flooding will only get worse. It doesn’t matter if it’s commercial or residential. The cement is what’s causing the problem,” she said.

Those who opposed cited concerns about the economic impact of a development moratorium and said the city should focus their efforts on maintaining the stormwater systems instead of putting a moratorium in place.

“I am a builder, and I would like to say no on the moratorium,” Edgewater resident Elliot Meadows said. “I know all the people that are flooded are like, hey, we flooded. But guess what? It’s not because of the little houses that I’m building on Victory Palm. It’s because of the maintenance of the waterways and the lack of the waterways.”

During the meeting, Mayor Diezel Depew also proposed the idea to create a team of three city employees to be fully dedicated to cleaning culverts in the city to see if the process could be expedited.

Both ordinances still need to go through a second reading, and if passed, would become effective immediately upon adoption and be effective until Jan. 6, 2026, unless rescinded or extended.