Stormwater and drainage issues plague DR Horton in 4 States including Florida

Giant Texas-based builder DR Horton has been plagued with stormwater violations that have damaged communities near homes it has built in Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, and South Carolina, according to recent reports.

A drainage pond created by DR Horton which the owner says has caused
flooding and mold in her home. Photo from TC Palm 

In Sarasota, Horton proposes to build 170 homes on land that will require a stormwater pond and fill - which if not done properly could endanger surrounding communities. This issue is in addition to many other concerns raised by the proximity of this proposed development to the nesting area of an internationally renowned area of the Celery Fields,which draws tourists from the world over.

Does Sarasota County wish to risk a $70 million investment of our tax dollars to allow this developer to build on this land? Wouldn't it be preferable to find a benign, environmentally beneficial use for the property?

Pensacola:


D.R. Horton agrees to pay fine for wetland damage from construction of Beulah subdivision


. . . early last month, the Northwest Florida Water Management District issued a $24,000 fine and consent order against D.R. Horton for stormwater and dirt draining into protected wetlands and for stormwater ponds in the subdivision not working properly.

Charleston SC: 


Complaints mount through the nation against D.R. Horton: ‘House from hell’



In Sarasota, DR Horton wishes to build 170 homes on 26 acres within the area marked "The Farm" right next to the birding area of the Celery Fields:


EPA News Release April 2024: 

D.R. Horton to pay civil penalties complete a Supplemental Environmental Project and implement Stormwater Compliance Measures across the Southeast for Clean Water Act Noncompliance

Atlanta (April 8, 2024) – D.R. Horton, Inc., the nation’s largest homebuilder, and its subsidiary, D.R. Horton, Inc. . . . have resolved allegations that they violated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) relating to stormwater discharges associated with construction activity at 16 locations in Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Under the proposed consent decree, Horton will implement a comprehensive stormwater compliance program at the many hundreds of home construction sites.

Treasure Coast:

Flooding issues at 'America's builder' D.R. Horton subdivision in Martin County | Opinion (TC Palm)


From the article:
. . . this is one relatively small (26-acre) project, approved after years of careful planning, that's having a lasting and damaging impact on its neighbors. It kind of makes you wonder about the impact of all those other projects, some considerably larger, that get approved along the Treasure Coast on an almost weekly basis, doesn't it?

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