CINCINNATI — From Debbie Carr’s vantage point in Cincinnati’s CUF neighborhood, the shifting of the Earth has only continued.
The twice-repaved street is cracked with a hole large enough to stick a finger in, drainage appears to be sinking and the retaining wall at the bottom has a growing crack.
"I just hope something gets taken care of before somebody gets hurt," Carr said.
For the first time, 15 residents in the neighborhood met with the city’s vice mayor, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, to share their growing concerns about landslide damage they say continues to worsen.
What happened?
The construction of the final phase of a housing complex targeted at University of Cincinnati students included the shearing of a hillside against West McMicken Avenue and Straight Street.
The hillside was sheared in May 2023, according to neighbors. But Carr said work in earnest on the retaining wall began in May, a full year after the hillside had first been sheared.
Residents said that delay likely led to the hillside slippage and damage they saw on their roads, driveways and retaining walls.
Watch or read my first story in August 2024 on how the length of time it took to build a retaining wall may have led to hillside slippage:
Vice mayor visits
The residents walked with Kearney around Straight Street, including through the grass to the edge of the retaining wall.
The gravel on the back end of the retaining wall has already begun to sink.
Eric Russo, executive director of The Hillside Trust, said it “dropped a good 2-3 feet” beyond normal settling in some areas.
"This is probably going to end up being about a couple million dollars in damages to the street," Russo said.
Residents say the problems stem from a Texas developer cutting into the hillside but failing to build a retaining wall for over a year.
During the visit, Kearney discussed potential solutions with residents and experts.
"This building is here, what can we do now to protect everybody?" Kearney asked Russo.
“The wall is in now. Now it’s a matter of just having to go back and do basic remediative action,” Russo said.
The vice mayor told residents she would reach out to various city departments, including the Department of Transportation and Engineering and Buildings & Inspections.
Kearney declined an interview request with WCPO after the visit, saying she wanted to speak with the city administration first about the situation.
Overlay district
The visit comes as the city begins an initiative to review and update zoning codes to develop buildings and homes safely and responsibly.
Read more from WCPO 9’s Marlena Lang here or watch below:
However, according to the city’s data portal, the area surrounding the construction site does not fall into the Cincinnati Hillside Overlay District.
Russo said development in those districts involves a series of steps that ensure the cut is going to be retained and the surrounding development is going to be stable.
Moving forward
Despite the worsening damage, neighbors said they were glad the vice mayor visited. They said they felt ignored by the city departments they raised issues to.
"She is the first person from city council that has … shown an interest, showed that she cared and is going to make inquiries. And for that, we're very appreciative," Carr said.
Last fall, city officials stated that the system in place would keep the area stable for years.
