Harding Avenue residents fear sinkhole will harm quality of water
Allysah Fox
February 21, 2017
Residents of Harding Avenue express concerns of a neighboring sinkhole potentially damaging their quality of water and of life in the northeastern Blacksburg area.
Citizens residing on Harding Avenue expressed their concerns to the administrators involving a potentially harmful sinkhole during the January 24 Blacksburg Town Council meeting.
“The neighborhood that’s affected has always had the same problem,” said Douglas White, a resident who presented the sinkhole information to the council. “The council may change, but what we need to do is put all of the data on the table and come together as rational people and have a discussion.”
White presented photographs to members of the council of the sinkhole located on the Windsor Hills Apartments’ property. White suspected the sinkhole was created by the heavy rainfall in Blacksburg that occurred two days prior to the meeting.
A sinkhole is defined as “a cavity in the ground caused by water erosion and providing a route for surface water to disappear underground.”
The area affected by the sink hole had recently been considered for a boundary line adjustment (a division of land) of 26 acres. The boundary line is located next to the town’s current northeastern boundary on Harding Avenue.
Additionally, there has been discussion of a future development in the field just beyond the boundary. White voiced strong concerns regarding possible negative impacts affecting future expansion on the site as well as nearby residential properties.
After White declared his statement, locals from the area chimed in with their concerns about potential damage from an already poor quality of water, as well as other pushing factors.
“My highest concern is water quality, because in order to make that development would be to blast through the karst terrain which could affect my private well,” said Carol Schauble, a resident of Harding Avenue. “You know, many of us living here have well water.”
Schauble stated she resided across from the property being considered for future development. Her concerns regarded the possible harmful impacts derived mainly from increased traffic on Harding Avenue in the event student housing were to be built on the site.
Non-permanent residents, such as students living in the local apartment complex, are less informed of the situation.
“This is the first that I’ve heard about this,” said Kelsey Werner, a senior studying Architecture at Virginia Tech and a resident of Windsor Hills Apartments. “I don’t know what I’ll do if the water starts to go bad; I’ll definitely be complaining.”
Allysah Fox
February 21, 2017
Residents of Harding Avenue express concerns of a neighboring sinkhole potentially damaging their quality of water and of life in the northeastern Blacksburg area.
Citizens residing on Harding Avenue expressed their concerns to the administrators involving a potentially harmful sinkhole during the January 24 Blacksburg Town Council meeting.
“The neighborhood that’s affected has always had the same problem,” said Douglas White, a resident who presented the sinkhole information to the council. “The council may change, but what we need to do is put all of the data on the table and come together as rational people and have a discussion.”
White presented photographs to members of the council of the sinkhole located on the Windsor Hills Apartments’ property. White suspected the sinkhole was created by the heavy rainfall in Blacksburg that occurred two days prior to the meeting.
A sinkhole is defined as “a cavity in the ground caused by water erosion and providing a route for surface water to disappear underground.”
The area affected by the sink hole had recently been considered for a boundary line adjustment (a division of land) of 26 acres. The boundary line is located next to the town’s current northeastern boundary on Harding Avenue.
Additionally, there has been discussion of a future development in the field just beyond the boundary. White voiced strong concerns regarding possible negative impacts affecting future expansion on the site as well as nearby residential properties.
After White declared his statement, locals from the area chimed in with their concerns about potential damage from an already poor quality of water, as well as other pushing factors.
“My highest concern is water quality, because in order to make that development would be to blast through the karst terrain which could affect my private well,” said Carol Schauble, a resident of Harding Avenue. “You know, many of us living here have well water.”
Schauble stated she resided across from the property being considered for future development. Her concerns regarded the possible harmful impacts derived mainly from increased traffic on Harding Avenue in the event student housing were to be built on the site.
Non-permanent residents, such as students living in the local apartment complex, are less informed of the situation.
“This is the first that I’ve heard about this,” said Kelsey Werner, a senior studying Architecture at Virginia Tech and a resident of Windsor Hills Apartments. “I don’t know what I’ll do if the water starts to go bad; I’ll definitely be complaining.”