Hundreds of Pembroke Pines condo residents are grappling with a sudden upheaval after the entire Heron Pond Community was slapped with an order to evacuate by the city, citing safety concerns. Reported first by 7News, this mandate follows a series of inspections that revealed extensive structural damage, hastening the need for residents to find alternative housing by the end of next month.
Details provided by CBS News Miami show that the problem escalated following last year's evacuation orders for specific buildings within the Heron Pond Condominiums. Alarmingly, the remaining structures have now been deemed unsafe as well - a move that affects all 304 units. The residents, some of whom had believed their homes were not threatened, were instructed to vacate, with the city issuing an order that expedited the evacuation timeline should a tropical storm weather advisory be put in place.
"We’re in trouble. Sincerely, we need help," Dyana, a resident of the community, shared her desperation in an interview with 7News. The renters and owners are now facing a future of uncertainty, with limited time to secure new housing in an already strained and costly market.
A report from ACG Engineering Services, the firm overseeing the building inspections, criticized the pace at which repairs have been handled. According to their findings, only one of the 19 buildings has been fully repaired, with two others less than halfway done. Despite previous reassurances that their homes were safe, residents like Kemely are now confronting the harsh reality that staying is not an option. "That’s a month away, and it's like, everything is so expensive right now. We can't just get up and leave, especially my mom, being a single mom. It's hard for her to just say 'OK' and just move somewhere else," Kemely told 7News.
Adding to the disarray, a visit by a 7News crew to the leasing office came up empty as the office has reportedly been unstaffed for months. The condominium association was disbanded in April, and despite a court-appointed individual now being in charge, there has been no public communication regarding aid for the displaced residents. The city urges those affected to communicate directly with landlords or the condominium association, a recommendation that appears to offer little solace for the many now scrambling to relocate amidst a backdrop of negligence and disorder.
