PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County woman is raising serious concerns over a deteriorating, unpaved road behind her neighborhood—one she says has been ignored for decades and could pose a real safety threat.
WATCH BELOW: 'The mailman got stuck here,' Janet Morgano tells WPTV's Vannia Joseph
Janet Morgano moved into her home along Springfield Street near Greenacres just months ago. Since then, she says she's been watching cars get stuck in the dirt and fearing what could happen if the road continues to erode.
"This, like I said, is pure dirt. So unless you are a dirt bike rider, you'd get stuck here," Morgano said. "The mailman got stuck here."
Springfield Street is more than 100 years old, created in 1926. The road runs along a canal just east of South Military Trail. Despite the residential development nearby, Morgano says there's no proper road access—and worse, no one is taking responsibility.
"They're nice homes, but the road that they have here is just…" she said, trailing off in frustration. "Who's responsible for this?"
According to emails reviewed by WPTV, Palm Beach County's Engineering and Public Works Department classifies the road as a "service road" that was never officially adopted for maintenance. County officials said it was created during the original platting of the area but never brought up to public standards.
That explanation doesn't sit well with Morgano.
"The buildings went up before the roads got established," she said. "I think they should step up and take responsibility since now, these townhomes and homes are paying taxes to the county."
She points to several safety concerns: sections of the road washed out during heavy rains, and GPS directions still lead drivers straight onto the unpaved stretch.
"If you Google my address, it'll want to take you down this road," she said. "And if you do, you'll get stuck—because that's completely dirt."
Most recently, she says a woman who didn't speak English got stuck and couldn't afford to get her car towed out.
"I feel for those people, because towing is not a $25 price ticket," Morgano said.
She also worries about the lack of road barriers along the canal. On the south side, barriers are in place to keep drivers from going over the edge—but not on Springfield's side.
"I just want to know, are we safe as residents?" Morgano asked.
In June, Palm Beach County told her that if residents want improvements, they'll have to foot the bill—hiring engineers to design and build a roadway to county standards before officials will consider accepting it.
Morgano's reaction: "How in the world?"
She says she's well aware of the road's complicated history but doesn't believe that absolves the county of its role today.
"Why wasn't it changed when things were being considered for development?" she said.
WPTV has reached out to the Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works Department. After several weeks of back-and-forth emails, we are still waiting for a formal response. We will continue to press for answers.
