Zachary, La. (WFB) – Many residents in Zachary are concerned about building a new neighborhood behind their homes because they said development has barely started and they are already seeing water in their yards.
One homeowner talked about how he was worried that his house would be flooded when construction was completed.
Behind Johnny Paddon’s house is the earnings of unwanted neighbors. For the past week, he said he’s seen construction workers in the soon-to-be Zachary Farms subdivision pumping water into the back of his house and into his backyard, leaving a soggy mess.
“They’re just getting their water out in our backyard,” Paddon said. “I don’t know if it was done intentionally or if someone did it by mistake, but at the same time, if we ever get three days of rain, where will that water go?”
Plans for the new neighborhood show a portion of the subdivision being burned through an additional servitude that is scheduled to be constructed parallel to the Audubon Lakes neighborhood of Padone. He worries that it won’t be enough, citing the amount of water already sitting in his yard.
“They need to do something better than let them flow into slavery. I mean, that water is going to stay there. At some point, it will rise up and get our wealth,” he explained.
Zachary’s City Attorney John Hopewell said inspectors have been to the site to make sure developers are following the code. At this point in time, he said nothing is out of the ordinary.
“The water that is there is within established drainage servitude, so there’s really no enforcement at this point and the city is ready to take over,” Hopewell said.
However, this doesn’t lessen Paden’s worries. He said he had never had water in his yard before and he didn’t want it in his house.
,[Another] 2016 [flood event] can happen at any time but two [or] Three days of rain and you have two localities flowing from one place. Something is bound to flood,” he said.
“There’s nothing that would lead me to believe this is the case, and obviously, during construction, there’s going to be water, probably, in places it shouldn’t, but that’s why we have water.” There are evacuation services,” Hopewell explained.
Developer Art Lancaster said he hadn’t heard that water was going into the adjoining neighborhood. He said he would reach out to the contractor to see what was happening.
Inspectors are asked to return to the property to make sure there is no blockage of that drainage.
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