Arnold Property Owners Fear Waste Water Wiping Out Ground

ARNOLD, MO (KTVI)– It`s an unusual twist in one Arnold neighborhood.  Instead of residents fighting a government buyout they are requesting one.

Five property owners live around what was once a waste water lagoon along Key West Drive.  They say flooding and erosion are serious problems.

Ryan Egleston says his plumbing literally fell out because the ground beneath it eroded away.  The only solution would be to gut his house, fill the ground and rebuild.

‘It`s not feasible,’ said Egleston.  ‘You`re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild a $140,000 house.’

Charmaine Puttman fears necessary repairs to her home would bankrupt her.  She says her house shakes when cars go by.

‘”We`re basically on like jello,’ said Puttman.  ‘If there`s an earthquake, we`re dead.’

Puttman and Egleston believe the ultimate solution is for the city to buy the property and never allow anyone to build their again.

City Attorney Bob Sweeny says the city has yet to receive a proposal from residents for a buyout but says the city would consider any proposal.  What frustrates residents is that property right across the street from where they live qualified for a flood buyout.

‘This property is not in that same condition so it did not qualify,’ said Sweeny.

He said it`s possible this is not a city problem.  Egleston believes it should be the city`s responsibility.  He says the city issued the permits for homes to be built on the property.