HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A hole that's several feet deep near a community center has sparked concern for residents in a northwest Harris County neighborhood.
The Heather Wood Village Community Center sits on Willow Branch Drive, south of Louetta Road and adjacent to the Faulkey Gully. It features a pool and tennis courts. Behind those courts, residents said a large hole poses a potential danger.
“I just don't want anybody to be hurt,” a resident told KHOU 11 News.
The resident, who didn't want to be identified, said they moved to the area six years ago, just prior to Hurricane Harvey. They said after the hurricane hit and flooded the area, the county worked on different parts of land in the neighborhood impacted by the storm.
Then, it was two years ago that the resident said they first encountered what would become a deepening issue.
“It's just it's progressed considerably,” the resident said. “It started out that I stepped in it accidentally, but it maybe was 6 or 8 inches deep and then it's just gone from there. “
In recent months, residents told KHOU they have noticed severe rain events make the hole worse. They reached out to authorities to address the issue but when KHOU first arrived Monday afternoon, a few stakes and caution tape were surrounding the hole. Residents said it still posed a risk.
“People walk their dogs all the time, there are kids out there playing. We see a lot of them, a golf cart occasionally, so there's a lot of activity,” a resident said. “I know for a fact that people walk here at night.”
Despite months of asking for help, the residents who spoke with KHOU said there had not been any significant progress in fixing the issue.
“Our concern is in the dark if they fall in that, they might not be heard for several hours if that happens,” the resident who spoke with KHOU said. “So we certainly we don't want a dog or a cat to fall in there, but we don't want any person either.”
KHOU reached out to county officials, including Harris County Flood Control District and Harris County Precinct 3. A few hours after KHOU’s calls, a crew of Flood Control and Precinct 3 officials arrived to examine the hole. A short time later, that was followed by contractors for Precinct 3 who put a larger and higher barrier around the hole.
Officials said the hole is Precinct 3’s responsibility to address but multiple agencies are working together to make sure repairs are, “handled immediately” and “pushing to ensure it begins as soon as possible.”