DeKalb homeowner says developer did not have proper permits to do blasting in neighborhood

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County homeowners say a developer did not have proper permits to conduct land blasting behind their neighborhood.

Channel 2 Action News first told you about this story in October after homeowners showed us newly formed cracks inside of their homes.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln obtained copies of the blasting permits and the address listed on the permits is not for the location near the homes.

Homeowners say because of that, the blasting should have not been approved.

“If you were going by this permit, how did the dynamite show up behind us 25 times?” homeowner Dawn Rayford said.

It’s a question homeowners in the Sierra Highlands subdivision in Lithonia have, after they say, land blasting caused damage to their homes.

“We got a cracked porch. My neighbor across the street has a cracked porch. My neighbor next door (has) sagging floors, cracks,” Rayford said.

Lincoln got a copy of the blasting permits through an open records request and found a total of six permits were approved by DeKalb County Fire spanning over six months.

However, a closer look at the permits shows the address for the blasting location is listed at a West Peoples Valley Road Northeast.

Rayford said the problem with that is…

“Immediately I said this is the wrong address, I Googled it and it was an hour away,” Rayford said.

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The address is more than 70 miles north in Cartersville, Georgia, and not DeKalb County.

“I don’t see this not being intentional,” Rayford said.

The DeKalb County Fire Department approves all land blasting permits.

Rayford said the fire chief told homeowners in a December meeting despite the address being incorrect, the subdivision name was on the permit application.

“The chief says, ‘Well, it says Champion’s Run.’ I said, ‘Chief there are three Champion’s Run in DeKalb County, but we don’t go by subdivision names, your application says the location of the place,’” Rayford said.

Rayford showed Lincoln what each blast has done to her home, marking the spot of a new crack.

“I can actually stick my fingernail in it,” Rayford said.

In October she showed Channel 2 Action News images of bent beams the blasting caused.

“This is not settling,” Rayford said.

Lincoln contacted DeKalb County Fire to find out how the permits were approved.

The county said because the subdivision’s name is on the application, the incorrect address was a clerical error made by the blasting company.

The county said the clerical error did not impact the county’s oversight on the project.

While developer D.R. Horton did not respond to our latest request for comment on this story, the company did acknowledge in October that all blasting was done in compliance with state regulations, and they followed safety guidelines.

“There’s no safety net. Where do we go? What do we do?” Rayford said.

Despite the clerical error, the county told Lincoln they will verify and cross-reference all applications.

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