PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Plymouth Township residents say a Wayne County ditching project meant to fix flooding has instead created new safety problems, and months of complaints have gone unanswered.
Watch Christiana's report below
Homeowners on Governor Bradford Road and Priscilla Lane say Wayne County started ditching and drainage work in June of last year to address longstanding flooding issues. But residents say the work made conditions worse, leaving ditches they describe as too deep, eroding yards, and standing water that wasn't there before.
Mike Tavarozzi, a 32-year resident, called the situation "a debacle."
"A big portion of the front yard has been dug out. I can't maintain it anymore. I can't mow it," Tavarozzi said. "It’s a very deep ditch that cars can get trapped in if they go too close. It’s eliminated on-street parking for us and it’s a hazard. This is also a bus route.”
Tavarozzi said he thought the project would be a much-anticipated fix.
"The ditching, since I've lived here, 32 years, they've never touched it. So I thought it was time for them to come out and do it properly so that we could eliminate the flooding. Unfortunately they've made it much worse. It's still flooding," Tavarozzi said.
His wife, Char Tavarozzi, said the family feels trapped by the outcome. She says the rain garden they created had to be removed so that the project could happen.
"Now we're like stuck with this mess, which is terrible. Our house is just sliding away because it hasn’t been fixed, they’ve done a terrible job,”
Char Tavarozzi said.
Neighbor Megan Ogle, an 11-year resident, described the conditions around her own home.
"The road is beginning to erode because of the road coming down into the moat," Ogle said.
Cheryl Howard, an 82-year- old resident, said the depth of the ditches has created a physical safety hazard. She says her garbage bins are often left inside the ditch.
"I did fall in the ditch once and it was not pleasant trying to crawl out because I have bad knees," Howard said.
Residents say construction cones and unfinished work from last year remain in place despite repeated complaints and service requests. They shared months of emails sent to Wayne County Roads and Wayne County Commissioner Terry Marecki asking for a timeline and a plan of action.
Ogle said the lack of response has been difficult to accept.
"Beyond frustrating. It's very frustrating," Ogle said.
7 News Detroit reached out to both Wayne County Roads and Commissioner Marecki's office on Thursday. Neither office provided a response for this story.
Ogle said residents are not asking for much.
"A point person and just a plan. Somebody that knows what they're doing, to come out, survey the area, and execute properly," Ogle said.
In the meantime, residents have placed reflectors near the ditches while they wait for answers. Tavarozzi said he hopes the county will finally act.
"Do their job. I mean I know they have budget constraints, I understand that, but is 32 years enough time for somebody to finally spend some money and get these things fixed," Tavarozzi said.
One neighbor, Anne Van Wagoner, decided to take matters into her own hands, digging her own ditch in her yard.
“After seeing the catastrophe that unfolded, they said they were coming back this year to do the other homes, I said no way is Wayne County touching our Culvert,” said Van Wagoner.
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