PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Charlotte County neighborhood is voicing frustration after roads, yards and swales were torn up by a contractor installing fiber optic cables.
Neighbors in Woodland Estates say the work has left behind muddy swales, torn grass and damaged right-of-ways.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the contractor issues:
“It just looks bad,” said resident Ernie Sarkady.
Sarkady said he takes pride in his lawn, but crews boring holes for the project dug up parts of his front yard and swale.
“Well look at the rest of it compared to this,” Sarkady said. “I pay a lot of money to up keep it, and it’s just kind of destroyed.”
It’s not just about aesthetics. John Flemming, chairman of the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition, said the damaged swales cause concerns about flooding.
“If we have a rain event or if we have some major type of weather issue, the swales are destroyed. If there’s a large rain event, these people are going to get flooded out,” Flemming said.
County officials confirmed the contractor, BlueStreak Telecommunications, has also struck water mains in the area. That forced boil water notices for the neighborhood, including Sarkady’s home.
“That was about two weeks, less than two weeks ago and just the day before, it was hit on the opposite end of our street, so that’s twice within two weeks we had no water,” Sarkady said.
The most recent notice, sent to residents on Sept. 9, was rescinded according to the county.
Charlotte County said it has ordered BlueStreak to stop work and make repairs before continuing. Officials estimate the fixes could take several days to a week, depending on weather conditions.
Sarkady said the work should have been handled properly from the beginning.
“I guess I could be called the pain in the butt, but I just want to have everything done right. And I take care of my property. I want others to take care of it too,” he said.
Fox 4 reached out to BlueStreak Telecommunications for comment but has not heard back.
