Just like Matthew: Debris from Irma dumped next to Mandarin man's home

This time, homeowner Kyle Mikson speaks up, questions FEMA

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – All the tree debris from Hurricane Irma that currently sits in front of homeowners’ yards must go somewhere.

A Mandarin homeowner agrees with that -- but also said the debris should not get dumped off and processed next to his house, which sits in a relatively new subdivision.

Last year, the city dumped debris from Hurricane Matthew in the same location, right next to Kyle Mikson’s home. He said the lot became a loud processing location, seven days a week.

“You have chainsaws. They mulch,” Mikson said. “You have all this different equipment running all day, every day.”

And, he said, it was messy.

“We had to get our house pressure-washed after they did it last time with (Hurricane) Matthew, because when they do the mulching, all of that debris and dust goes into the air,” Mikson said. “It’s all over our vehicle and our brand-new homes.”

The lot is owned by the Jacksonville Transit Authority and is a designated place to store debris in the event of a disaster. But Mikson said that designation was approved by FEMA long before his subdivision was built next-door.

“From my understanding, FEMA doesn’t do disaster relief sites this close to a residential neighborhood,” Mikson said. “So, my next concern is that if it ever was approved by FEMA, when was the last time we rezoned it to look at this brand-new (neighborhood) that sits adjacent to the property?”

A FEMA official told News4Jax that FEMA does not control zoning issues, but rather local governments control their own zoning.


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