WVXU Stories

Mt. Adams Hillside Almost Back To Normal

91.7 WVXU | By Ann Thompson

Published July 7, 2017 at 6:00 AM EDT

The townhouse to the left is one of two damaged when a retaining wall made up of huge concrete blocks came crashing down in May. Construction crews almost have the hill stabilized.

A Mt. Adams hillside, where dirt and a huge concrete blocks came crashing down into a couple of townhouses two months ago, is nearly stabilized.

A judge ordered Metropolitan Design and Development to rebuild the retaining wall after it collapsed May 3rd between Baum and Oregon Streets. The company says the wall will be finished next week.

According to Cincinnati's Chief Counsel for land use and planning, Marion Haynes, the collapse "severely damaged two homes, caused people to be vacated from their homes, has led to a temporary sewer being put in place, which but for that other property owners uphill wouldn't have any sewer service and would probably have to vacate their homes as well."

Cincinnati says the developer cut out chunks of hillside without permission from the city to build these homes and that caused the hill to be unstable.

Cincinnati is suing Metropolitan for damage to the townhomes and the installation of the sewer line.

Haynes says, "We are a city where anyone anytime digging in a hillside needs to be very careful to follow the city's rules and the city's laws because they're put in place to ensure that we have proper mandatory and proper assurances that what is being done to the hillside is going to be safe and not harm people."

Metropolitan is accused of cutting portions of the hillside without obtaining permits from the city or having plans approved. The company wouldn't comment on the lawsuit only the project's timetable.