MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Residents in a Maineville neighborhood believe a nearby housing development has left their backyards underwater — and they want someone to fix it.
Homeowners told me a developer cleared more than 100 acres of wooded land behind their properties on Weeping Willow Lane to build over 100 new homes in the Arbor's East subdivision.
Nearby homeowners said trees and roots that once absorbed rainwater are now gone, and the cleared land sits at a higher elevation than their homes.
When it rains, they told me the water has nowhere to go but downhill.
"They took all the trees out, they dug all the roots out, and that land is elevated above our property," said Vivian Faulkner, a Hamilton Township homeowner. "So now the water has no place to go when it rains, and it flows downhill into our yards."
At least eight backyards were flooded during Wednesday's rainstorms, according to residents living in the area. Water reached one home's patio. The grounds in several yards has become so saturated that it is spongy underfoot.
WATCH: What we learned about stormwater basins required for the development
Faulkner said the flooding has raised concerns beyond just muddy grass.
"We're concerned about our decks and patios. We're concerned about our sump pumps. We're concerned about our foundations," Faulkner said. "Initially, the plan was that they would leave a row of trees back there. But they've stripped it all the way up to the fence line. There's virtually no trees."
Another neighbor told me he believed a retention pond was part of the development plan, but one hasn't been built yet.
Is a solution coming?
I followed up with Hamilton Township and Warren County to investigate the drainage concerns.
Warren County officials said developers are close to installing four new stormwater basins. The plan for the subdivision will fix drainage issues for neighbors once it is further along, officials said.
WATCH: Residents in Maineville share concerns over flooding waters in their backyards.
These basins will catch excess water and slowly release it underground, significantly reducing runoff into nearby backyards.
"They're wanting to get going as soon as possible. I don't have a timeframe yet (for) when that will be constructed. Here in the next several months, I would think," Warren County engineer David Mick said.
WCPO reached out to the developer, Arbor Homes, multiple times for an update on the construction timeline, but we have not yet heard back.
