Sun City developer promises to remedy lagoon problems

Sun City Hilton Head developer Pulte Homes on Thursday promised to fix problems with a number of lagoons in the gated community at no cost to residents. That promise was made to about 550 residents at a meeting organized by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The agency alleged in June that Pulte had built a number of lagoons in several of the community's newer neighborhoods that didn't match their original permits, a violation of state pollution laws.

Lagoons are designed to filter rainwater before it flows into nearby rivers, streams and wetlands.

DHEC officials announced Thursday that Pulte has begun the repairs in the Aster Fields, Basket Walk, Murray Hill and Water Lily Cove neighborhoods.

"We stand ready to do this work, we've started to do this work ... and it's not going to cost you a nickel," Pulte spokesman Jon Cherry told the audience. After the meeting, Cherry said he didn't know how much the work would cost.

A "lagoon action plan" submitted to DHEC shows the repairs include dredging seven lagoons and raising the water level in others by changing the height of drains.

Though residents applauded Cherry's promise, many voiced concerns that Pulte's repairs would not be thorough enough and could saddle homeowners with hefty repair costs in the future.

Several pleaded with DHEC officials to make sure the repairs are adequate.

"Require Pulte to correct all the deficiencies and make sure it's done properly" said Rick McCollough, a Sun City resident who pushed DHEC to look into lagoon issues in 2007.

A presentation by Tim Doyle, a Sun City resident and civil engineer, said lagoon depths should be increased beyond what Pulte has proposed to ensure water quality.

During a lengthy public comment period, many residents described living next to murky, sediment-filled lagoons they felt were too shallow.

Stuart Freeman said he'd gone out in the pond behind his home in a canoe to measure its depths. It was 4 feet at its deepest point, he said.

While many residents came to the meeting to hear about the lagoons, a number also were upset that water is inundating several areas of federally protected wetlands in Sun City.

Rita Niemeyer described wetlands in her neighborhood where hardwood trees have collapsed because of excess water.

"In the past 1 1/2 to 2 years it has spread so fast it's frightening," Niemeyer said. She added the view of dead and dying trees behind many residents' homes adversely affects property values.

"How do you replace all these beautiful trees?" she asked. "It breaks my heart."

"We're still looking at the wetlands," said Blair Williams, a DHEC official. But he said the Army Corps of Engineers, which has oversight of wetlands, is leading that ongoing investigation.