A group of homeowners’ associations in Fayetteville is plotting their next steps after winning an appeal in their lawsuit against the city over stormwater damage to lakes and dams in the neighborhoods.
Residents are attributing this damage to issues with the city’s stormwater system, saying the system is inadequate for preventing flooding and residual damage during major storms.
“Every time it rains, it’s like a river is running through here,” said Judy Lee, the president of the Rayconda Homeowners’ Association. “So this, all this sand, we did have a small sandbar before from the water coming through the culverts. But now this is much more. We also have lots of trash, plastic bottles.”
Lee is the head of just one of the four homeowners’ associations waging a lawsuit against the city over its stormwater system–also including Arran Lakes, Strickland Bridge and Devonwood-Loch Lomond. They said the flooding issues started with damage from Hurricane Matthew. However, now their lawsuit is honing in on residual damage to their neighborhoods’ lakes and dams that they argue the city needs to address.