Stormwater runoff and the Pinellas Trail have sparked a heated debate about public safety and responsibility for repairs.
 
Pictures taken two years ago show major storm runoff erosion near a footer of an elevated section of the Pinellas Trail near Tyrone Boulevard and 38th Avenue N.
 
The county reinforced the footer, but two years later, business owners at a neighboring shopping plaza say the repairs have caused bigger problems.
 
"It diverted the flow of water to come onto our embankment and, in turn, eroded the dirt under the pavement," said Airen Reed of First Florida Management Services, which represents the shopping plaza owner. "Eventually, the pavement started falling in."

As erosion continued from storm run-off, pictures show, several feet of the plaza's back parking lot caved in.
 
Eventually, the property owner was forced to shut down the back parking lot, which meant up to a 20 percent loss in sales for businesses such as William's Sub Shop.  Owner Jean Gifford says the Pinellas County refused to make repairs.
 
"They denied they were going to fix it," she said. "The county said it was not their problem.
 
Letters between the property management company, business owners and Pinellas County Risk Management dating to May 2012 show the county claimed the damage was not its responsibility.

In an October 2012 letter, Senior Assistant County Attorney Robert C. Swain told one business owner this:

"After reviewing this matter, I can advise you that at present Pinellas County is not in a position to take any remedial action to benefit the property. ... The County wishes to make clear that it will not be taking any action on this matter and that any repair must come from other sources."
 
Pinellas County Risk Management and the counties Communications Department would not comment for this story, saying the situation is an "open claim with disputed responsibility."
 
As erosion continued into this summer, property owners say they were forced to make emergency repairs to protect the plaza's foundation.
 
The repairs will be completed this week at a price of $8,500 dollars.