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Article Courtesy of NEWS 6
Click Orlando
By Troy Campbell
Published June 11, 2026
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PALM BAY – A large hole that opened along a roadway in a Palm Bay neighborhood
Wednesday has renewed concerns over an aging drainage pipe that residents say
has needed repairs for years.
The collapse occurred along Indian River Drive Northeast near the clubhouse
inside Palm Bay Estates, where neighbors say heavy rainfall overwhelmed an aging
drainage system and caused the ground above the pipe to give way.
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“It was a flash flood is what it was
essentially,” said Terry Stuhlmiller, president of the Palm
Bay Estates Association board of directors. “We just had so
much rain, and it just couldn’t handle it.”
City of Palm Bay crews were seen Wednesday making temporary
repairs to the roadway after the collapse.
Stuhlmiller said residents first noticed water seeping from
beneath the ground near the damaged pipe Wednesday morning.
“We knew the pipe was antiquated and needed repairs, and the
city was in agreement with that,” he said.
According to Stuhlmiller, the homeowners association and the
city have spent at least two years debating responsibility
for the drainage pipe and the cost of repairing it.
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“We’ve been battling for years with the city — who maintains the pipe and who
does the pipe belong to,” Stuhlmiller said. “It’s been an ongoing battle for
years.”
Stuhlmiller argues the pipe is owned by the city and simply runs through
association property before draining into a nearby canal.
“We don’t use it,” he said. “It goes through our property, but we don’t use it
for any drainage. It’s all totally the city’s water that is coming through it.”
While he is grateful city crews responded to stabilize the area, Stuhlmiller
said questions remain about how a permanent repair will be funded.
“What it comes down to now is funding,” he said. “They said they don’t have any
money in their budget. I know we don’t have any money in our budget for this
massive operation.”
A representative from the City of Palm Bay was at the scene Wednesday but
declined to comment, citing the fact that Indian River Drive is a private road.
City officials indicated an update could be released Thursday.
After initially declining to comment at the scene because the roadway is
privately owned, the City of Palm Bay later released a statement saying it has
been actively working with the Palm Bay Estates Homeowners Association to reach
an agreement on repairing the infrastructure.
City officials said they will continue searching for available resources to
assist the Palm Bay Estates HOA with the project.
No timeline for permanent repairs was announced.
No injuries were reported, and repairs to the roadway remained underway
Wednesday evening.
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