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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Majority of Clearwater condo evacuees allowed to go back home almost a week later
Above video: Lawmakers pass condo reform bill amid growing safety concerns. CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — The wait is over for some residents who will be returning home almost a week after evacuating from a Clearwater condo due to structural concerns. Residents at The South Beach III Condominiums on Gulf Boulevard received a notice Monday night that said they would be allowed to return to their units, 'effective immediately.' Car crashing into Lakeland house was a double homicide: sheriff Several residents were given the all-clear, except for those living on stacks 4-5, which officials said are located directly above the support column that initially prompted concern. Sixty people were forced to evacuate from the 12-story building on May 6 after engineers found the column splitting in the first-floor parking structure. Residents — some of whom left with only the clothes of their backs — were given 15 minutes to retrieve their belongings as crews continued to work to stabilize the building over the weekend. The condo association said Monday it could be an additional week before residents are allowed to return to units on stacks 4-5, and an additional emergency access plan is being considered. Those who were returning to their units Monday night were asked to abide by a set of restrictions. Some of those restrictions included maximum occupancy limits, designated parking areas and no deliveries over 75 pounds. 'This has been a long process,' the condo association wrote in the notice. 'While residents may be excited to re-enter their units, adherence to these instructions is imperative to the safety of all our residents.' Officials said contractors will be frequently inspecting the temporary safety shoring apparatuses that were installed, and there will likely be tightening and other adjustments — all of which is 'normal and expected.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Clearwater condo residents grab belongings Saturday amid concerns over building's structural integrity
The Brief Clearwater condo residents briefly returned to their building to grab belongings Saturday, as work to address concerns about the building's structural integrity continues. On Tuesday,first responders urgently evacuated 60 residents from the 12-story South Beach III condo building after construction crews noticed one of the concrete support columns had large cracks in it. Residents say they signed up for 15-minute time slots between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on either Saturday or Sunday and were escorted into the building. CLEARWATER, Fla. - Clearwater condo residents briefly returned to their building to grab belongings Saturday, as work to address concerns about the building's structural integrity continue. On Tuesday,first responders urgently evacuated 60 residents from the 12-story South Beach III condo building after construction crews noticed one of the concrete support columns had large cracks in it. PREVIOUS: Evacuations ordered at Clearwater high-rise after structural crack discovered What they're saying "Yeah, we got a knock at the door -- I mean, a loud bang -- and went to the door and there were two firemen fully dressed, and they said, you have to get out right now," resident Scott May told FOX 13 Saturday. Four days after that knock on his door, May returned to his condo building Saturday. He showed FOX 13 the email that condo management sent Friday, which said engineers authorized "safe, emergency access" to the building, allowing residents "a very limited, one-time access to their units." Residents, including May, said they signed up for 15-minute time slots between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on either Saturday or Sunday and were escorted into the building. "I've got files, all kinds. Toothbrush, toothpaste, everything. Clothes, just to have some fresh clothes, and everything helps," May said of the items he planned to grab. "So yeah, that's a relief." According to that Friday email, condo management wrote, "We are continuing to work with officials on safe, longer-term re-entry, which is expected Tuesday, provided progress remains on schedule." Additionally, they hired an "outside structural engineer to conduct a peer review as an added safety measure." "That would be fantastic," May said of a potential Tuesday return. "I probably think the only thing is, maybe that first night might be a little scary…You just have that in the back of your mind to make sure that we're safe." PREVIOUS: Clearwater condo residents could be displaced for days after evacuations ordered According to an email sent to residents on Wednesday, the engineering company, Karins Engineering, is working with the City of Clearwater and the construction contractor Suncoast Restoration and Waterproofing to stabilize the building. Big picture view The building's milestone inspection from last year, which was just given to the city on Wednesday, said Karins Engineering did not find anything that would compromise the safety of the building for its intended use and occupancy. A state law put into place after the Surfside condo collapse in 2021 said aging condo buildings must have structural inspections every 10 years. According to official reports, the condo in Clearwater was built in 1978. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Clearwater condo residents allowed ‘limited, one-time access' to units as repairs continue
CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Dozens of residents have been unable to return to their homes after being evacuated from a Clearwater condo earlier this week due to structural concerns. However, on Friday, the condo association sent out a notice to residents of The South Beach III Condominiums on Gulf Boulevard, saying they would be allowed a 'very limited, one-time access' to their units. Florida passes bill to enhance crane safety on construction sites The notice said engineers provided written authorization to allow 'safe emergency access' to the 12-story building. Each resident was asked to sign up for a 15-minute time slot to enter their unit on either Saturday or Sunday and grab their things. The May 6 evacuation was ordered after engineers found a support column splitting in the first-floor parking structure. Crews have since been working to stabilize the building, and officials said Friday they remained on schedule. 'We are continuing to work with officials on safe, longer-term re-entry, which is expected Tuesday, provided progress remains on schedule,' the condo association wrote. Residents were asked to avoid scheduling an emergency time slot unless 'absolutely needed.' Some evacuees like Scott May told News Channel 8 they had left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. May was still wearing the same clothes he had on when he left Tuesday as he spoke to reporters days later. Residents will be allowed limited access to their units as follows: Stacks 7-12 on Saturday, May 10, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stacks 1-6 on Sunday, May 11, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The condo association also provided the following guidelines: Each unit will have one 15-minute time slot only; time starts when they enter their unit Residents will designate no more than two people to enter their unit for their timeslot No minors will be permitted to enter the building Residents must arrive 15-30 minutes before their timeslot and sign-in with officials under carport 74 in the northeast parking area Residents must park in the open spaces along Gulf Boulevard in the 1460 lot Parking is limited. Residents will not be permitted to enter the gate until 30 minutes before their timeslot Residents and/or their designated representative(s) will be escorted into the building Escort is not permitted to assist packing or carrying contents out of unit No mail collection will be permitted — mail will resume service when we have written authorization to renter the building No shopping carts or valet carts of any kind will be allowed Residents must leave property immediately after they load contents If the designee(s) is not owner or legal renter, they will be required to have printed authorization from the owner or renter Officials said an outside structural engineer was hired to conduct a peer review as an added safety measure. The board also plans to meet with owners and residents of condos that have been more directly impacted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Clearwater condo residents could be displaced for days after evacuations ordered
The Brief Clearwater Beach condo residents are expecting to be out of their homes for days after evacuations were ordered on Tuesday. First responders urgently evacuated 60 residents from the 12-story South Beach III condo building after a worker noticed a concrete support column had large cracks. The building's milestone inspection from last year, which was just given to the city on Wednesday, said Karins Engineering did not find anything that would compromise the safety of the building for its intended use and occupancy. CLEARWATER, Fla. - It could be days before residents of a Clearwater Beach condo are allowed back home, according to an email management sent to residents around noon on Wednesday. The backstory It comes after first responders urgently evacuated 60 residents from the 12-story South Beach III condo building on Tuesday. According to a spokesperson for the City of Clearwater, while permitted work was being done in the garage, a worker noticed one of the concrete support columns had large cracks and voids within it, causing concern for the structural integrity of the building. RELATED: Evacuations ordered at Clearwater high-rise after structural crack discovered Permits for work on the property located at 1460 Gulf Boulevard show crews were replacing part of the garage floor parking slab. According to the email sent to residents on Wednesday, the engineering company Karins Engineering is working with the City of Clearwater and the construction contractor Suncoast Restoration and Waterproofing to stabilize the building. "They use steel struts and steel beams to kind of make sure that the column wasn't going to come down anymore and that the floor and roof was under control and supported," Division Chief of Emergency Management Jevon Graham for the City of Clearwater said about the process. In a letter from the building's management, residents were told that they should plan to be out of their homes for the next 72-96 hours. What's next A spokesperson for Karins Engineering said on Wednesday they're also working hard to evaluate the building and decide on an appropriate repair plan. She wasn't able to say how long that will take. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube A city spokesperson said additional work is needed to complete "more substantial repairs." The city is relying on the property's professional structural engineers to guide the response and repair. Clearwater's building officials will not allow people back inside, though, until they review a report from a structural engineer, saying the structure is stable and safe. Dig deeper The building's milestone inspection from last year, which was just given to the city on Wednesday, said Karins Engineering did not find anything that would compromise the safety of the building for its intended use and occupancy. The city's spokesperson said the report was provided to the condo's Community Association in August and September 2024, but the city didn't have record of receiving the required building milestone inspection reports by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline until Wednesday. A state law put into place after the Surfside condo collapse in 2021 said aging condo buildings have to have structural inspections every 10 years. The report said the condo in Clearwater was built in 1978. What they're saying First responders said Surfside is always top of mind. READ: Clearwater Ferry passengers refute statements from Jeffry Knight's attorney in aftermath of crash "Any time you have a compromised structure, a support beam of this magnitude, you have to think about a possible collapse. So, our county support team, our different fire departments, our Pinellas County Tech team, our city tech team, fire departments from all across the county, the jurisdiction, all support it, gave staff to kind of help make sure … and you look at one, do you have support the structure, or two, are you going to deal with a search and rescue and demolition," Graham said. A long-time owner told FOX 13 he feels safety protocols during a recent concrete restoration project were overlooked. He said he voiced those concerns to management in February 2024, but feels he wasn't heard. The other side FOX 13 reached out to the Community Association Property Manager and hadn't heard back at the time this article was published. The Red Cross is helping residents with a place to stay. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy. It also includes previous information from FOX 13 news reports. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
