DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — There is a growing sinkhole in a DeKalb County neighborhood and residents are frustrated.
Residents near Toco Hills said a sinkhole has been growing in their yard since December. So far, it has swallowed construction equipment and even mailboxes.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln learned that some neighbors can’t even use their driveway and that they have been parking on the street for a month because of the large sinkhole in their yard.
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Everyone in the neighborhood is asking for it to be fixed, but one couple, Jene and Amanda Hammett, is shouting the loudest.
“I am frustrated, I’m mad at this point,” Hammett said.
The Hammetts said they noticed a small hole forming in their yard back in December, and with each rainfall, the hole grew larger.
“We’ve been trying to figure out who to call, what to do, and we get no information,” Hammett said.
The couple says at first, the county was quick to respond. They patched up the hole in January, but the hole returned.
The hole became so severe that it swallowed the county’s machinery.
“The backhoe fell into the driveway,” Hammett said.
They say the county told them the hole was caused by a collapsed line.
Residents say the concern isn’t just for their property, but this line runs under their street, into their neighbor’s yard, where they say a similar hole is starting to form.
“The infrastructure is around 60 years old, apparently it only has a 30-year life span,” Hammett said.
After Channel 2 Action News called the county, barriers were placed around the hole. A spokesperson for the county did apologize to the homeowners for the delay in addressing the issue.
Officials said the delay is caused by pandemic supply chain issues. The county also added that this type of repair has to be constructed on-site.
Right now, officials say they’re hiring an emergency contractor to repair the collapsed line.
The county has not given an exact date on when repairs will happen, but it estimates the repairs would cost around $166,000.
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