WIXOM, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents in a Wixom neighborhood are speaking up about backyard flooding concerns. They say it's causing erosion, trash issues and poses a risk to public safety.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
Their concerns point to runoff from a newly built school and parking lot across the road.
Mike Hilverding said his land along a drainage ditch is literally washing away.
“You can see the erosion that I’ve experienced right here and these are going to be very costly repairs. Very, very costly repairs. The city is being cooperative about assisting in a temporary reclamation here while they’re coming up with a full plan,” he explained.
The big question for neighbors is "why now?" Hilverding has a theory about what changed in the landscape.
"Our fingers are pointing to the runoff from the new high school. The high school has moved this way and instead of having ground saturation, we now have flat parking lot runoff," he explained.
The new Walled Lake Western High School is on Beck Road across from the homes. Hilverding took that concern to the Walled Lake School Board meeting Thursday night.
The drain leading into the neighborhood empties into the ditch in Andrew Supanich’s backyard.
“Any sort of significant rain, it’s bringing street trash, cigarette butts, plastic bags. You name it, it’s probably been in my backyard. You can guess why that'd probably be problematic with my son, who’s 2 years old. So, we gotta watch out for that and make sure that it’s constantly cleaned," he said.
Supanich said the force of the water has become evident over time.
“The width that it is now, it is much narrower than it was two years ago. That dip in the yard is deeper now,” he explained.
Hilverding said, “Our erosion, our reduced property values, that’s one thing... Imagine if a small dog got in there or a small child got in there. It’s now a public safety issue."
7 News Detroit reached out to the Walled Lake school district regarding the neighbors' concerns. In a statement, the district said:
“The district became aware of the matter referenced during last night’s board of education meeting. Our team will be reviewing the situation and gathering additional information to determine our next steps.”
