Anxiety is rising in the Glenda Villas after confirmation of the discovery of a 350-square-foot “anomaly.”
City of Wildwood officials have received geotechnical testing reports and recommendations for remediation of the surface depressions reported last week at 5980 Scardino St. in The Villages section of Wildwood, and have issued an emergency authorization to Earth Tech, LLC, to begin work.
Sinkholes appeared near the middle of the road and at the corner of a driveway in the Village of Monarch Grove. Scardino Street and its accompanying right-of-way are under the jurisdiction of the City of Wildwood, which assumes responsibility for local roads in The Villages south of State Road 44 after construction and an initial maintenance period by the Developer.
Crews immediately secured the right-of-way and backfilled the depressions to prepare for geotechnical testing to determine the source and cause. Engineers conducted and analyzed a ground-penetrating radar survey that identified a semi-elliptical anomaly of approximately 350 square feet.
“We have given this issue our utmost attention since learning of its existence,” said Public Works Director Jeremy Hockenbury. “We recognize the concern and inconvenience it has created for local residents, and we are working as quickly as we can while taking every possible precaution to ensure their safety while work proceeds.”
Three standard penetration test borings were then conducted in and around the radar-identified anomaly to assess soil classifications and strata including sand, clay, and weathered limestone. The tests also measured the density of soil to further assess ground strength and stability.
Based on all data collected, engineers recommended deep pressure grouting injected at 15 specific initial locations to depths “sufficient to encounter competent limestone” to stabilize subsurface conditions. That work is to begin as early as Friday, following site preparation work which occurred Thursday. The work is estimated to take seven 10- to 12-hour working days to complete, weather permitting.
“We are eager to get this work underway and to restore Scardino Street to the condition and quality residents have come to expect,” City Manager Jason McHugh said. “We take pride in our infrastructure and the level of service the city provides its citizens. While some phenomena are beyond human control, we always do everything within our power to provide the best possible response.”
The affected section of roadway remains closed to traffic. Once grouting work is complete, limited access will be provided while additional utility and asphalt repairs are performed.
