Pinellas County neighborhood dealing with dangerous hole in road

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Residents who use Estancia Boulevard to get to their homes are fed up with a hole in the road that they say has been getting bigger for years.

“No one will take responsibility,” said Kevin Connolly, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years. “It’s dangerous and it needs to be fixed.”

Everyone agrees it needs to be fixed, but there’s debate about who should pay for the work.

Part of Estancia Boulevard is owned and maintained by the county, but there is a sign right before the hole that says, “private road, end of county maintenance.”

In 2014, county staff sent a letter to Metroplex Developments, Inc., a Canadian company, saying records show the company owns the street and had 45 days to make repairs.

Well now, that county’s stance has changed. Pinellas County sent this statement to Better Call Behnken.

“The segment of Estancia Boulevard you are inquiring about is a private road over which the Estancia Towns Homeowners Association has responsibility. Although Estancia Boulevard is also used by residents of other nearby developments for convenient access to U.S. 19, those residents have the option of using public roads to reach the highway. The segment in question is currently in disrepair. On Aug. 29, 2022, Pinellas County Code Enforcement issued a Notice of Violation to the Estancia Towns HOA (attached) for violations of its site plan relating to the condition of the private road. Those violations must be corrected by Oct. 5, 2022, or legal action may be taken. In the past, the County could direct correspondence to the Canadian corporation Metroplex Developments, Inc., and repairs would be made. To the best of the County’s knowledge, Metroplex dissolved in 2019.”

Pinellas County Officials

Better Call Behnken reached out the the property manager and attorney for Estancia Towns Homeowners Association. The association responded and insists the county is wrong, and they don’t and have never owned the road.

The association’s stance is they are not responsible and will be fighting the code violation. That leaves residents stuck weaving around safety barricades.

“I’m horrified,” Ellen Connolly said. “I’m also an animal lover. I see ducks, I see dogs, people. I’m just afraid somebody’s going to get hurt or killed.”