Titusville canal cleared after decades-long requests from homeowners
Titusville canal cleared after FOX 35 report
FOX 35 News has helped homeowners with a problem they have been dealing with for decades. Earlier this month, we reported on canal concerns for some property owners on Heritage Drive in Titusville. Their backyards were being overcome by growth that wasn’t managed in the canal. Only a few weeks after the original story aired, things changed.
TITUSVILLE, Fla. - FOX 35 News has helped homeowners with a problem they have been dealing with for decades.
Earlier this month, we reported on canal concerns for some property owners on Heritage Drive in Titusville. Their backyards were being overcome by growth that wasn’t managed in the canal. Only a few weeks after the original story aired, things changed, and the canal was cleared.
"Thanks, FOX News number one, for helping us," said Rhonda Stover.
Rhonda Stover is thankful because she's been seeking help for over 20 years.
"In the 24 years I’ve been here, they have denied any jurisdiction over that canal," said Stover.
She spent decades trying to get the city to clear the canal behind her home but has been unsuccessful until now.
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"They came and cleaned the wall, moved the stuff away from the wall over here," said Joseph Simmons, who also lives on Heritage Drive.
Even after the growth was cut down, their backyards are still pretty beat up. Fences are tilted over, and properties are still sloped towards the canal.
"I would like them to fix the wall so I can actually build my lawn back up," said Simmons.
The next thing these homeowners want to see fixed is the canal wall. Since the brush is gone, they can finally see it and say it’s not in great shape.
"We are hoping that they will move quickly so we can stop the loss of our properties," added Stover.
The city says it’s still cleaning up the debris from the north part of the canal it cleared.
"So far, it’s a good step. Let’s see what they do continuing on," concluded Simmons.
While these homeowners are hopeful, they're still very nervous. We’re a few weeks from hurricane season right now, so they want to ensure the canal wall stabilizes as quickly as possible. The city tells us, at this time, they are still looking into what the long-term fix in this area will be.