By Kat Greene
A sinkhole is complicating daily life for Natural Bridge residents. It is the third sinkhole to open up on the private road, which the county says is not its responsibility.
But Sam Crickenberger, the county planner, said he was worried that emergency vehicles may not be able to reach the homes in the neighborhood.
"One of the reasons we may get involved is because it's a safety issue," he said.
Lisa Marshall is worried about safety too--her
young son used to play in the neighborhood, but she says now she is
afraid to let him play outside.
The sinkhole has left several utility pipelines and wires, including cable, water and phone lines, exposed to the elements.
The neighborhood lost phone service for two days after the hole opened on Nov. 16. Marshall said she is concerned that the expected frost this weekend will cause the water pipes to freeze.
Karen Austin, the director of Rockbridge County Public Service Authority (PSA), said that the stabilization of the waterline is a major concern.
"We'll do what we need to do to stabilize our waterline," Austin said. "If the homeowners want something done, they can do it."
Austin said that no one is responsible for the sinkhole.
"It's the nature of limestone," she said.
But the Amber Woods residents blame the neighborhood's developer, Jake Moore, for the poor condition of the road.
"He's left us with a big mess," Marshall said.
Marshall said that Moore did not fulfill his promise to get the road state-maintained. Because of that, she said, the neighbors are left with the $50,000 bill to repair the damage. On top of that cost, Marshall said it would cost more than $20,000 to get the road up to state standards.
At the meeting, the board of supervisors said that because Moore went bankrupt, he cannot be held responsible for the damage. Moore could not be reached for comment.
Crickenberger said that in order to fix the hole, they would have to excavate the road down to solid material, and then put down rocks to stabilize the bottom. He said it would take three kinds of rock, and "some kind of geotechnical material" in order to permanently fix the problem.
"The longer we wait, the more money it's going to cost," Marshall said.
Most of the residents are families with small children just trying to make ends meet. Marshall said they are looking into their legal options, to see if anyone can help them.
One woman, Jennifer St. Clair, appealed to the Board of Supervisors for help at the Nov. 27 meeting. She said she worries that her two-year-old son will fall into the hole by accident. Her driveway is less than 30 feet away from the sinkhole, which is only blocked off by caution tape.
Maynard Reynolds, the representative from the Natural Bridge district, advocated for the Amber Hill residents at the end of the meeting, but the Board did not take action.
Instead, board members decided to look into the cost of fixing the hole. They also said County Attorney Vickie Huffman would have to check into the county's liability for the road.
Marshall said she was unhappy with the results of the meeting, but added that she and her neighbors will not give up. She said they would all be present at the Dec. 7 meeting, when the supervisors agreed to discuss the issue again.
Lisa Marshall
talks about the sinkhole
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd