Saline County neighborhood pleads for help to fix flooding issues

SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – Concerns continue to grow in a Saline County neighborhood that has been dealing with flooding issues for years.

Last month, KARK 4 News spoke with Tiara Howlett who lives in the Centennial Valley Subdivision. She said the drainage system in the area isn’t working properly, causing water to build up in her yard and ultimately causing her house to shift.

Neighbors in the area, say they too are concerned with the drainage system in the area.

“That’s when it really started hitting me that it wasn’t just me and like one or two people, that it was like a dozen,” Jason Kavanaugh, who lives in the neighborhood, said.

Kavanaugh moved into the subdivision right after it was built in 2009. He said he’s been dealing with flooding ever since.

“I just chalked it up to us having wet summers and then as the years went by, I was like, ‘Ok this is a real issue,’” Kavanaugh said.

It wasn’t until hearing her story last month that Kavanaugh realized the problem wasn’t a drainage issue, but a lack thereof.

Kavanaugh took Working4You by the culvert at the top of the neighborhood. It runs from one side of the street to the other and then just stops.

“There is no redirection or anything. It just drains into our yards,” Kavanaugh said.

A few weeks ago, county leaders came out to the neighborhood to assess the issue.

“There is no government body that has anything to do with any situation that’s [going on] there,” Saline County Judge Matt Brumley said.

In 2019, Saline County approved a new set of Subdivision Rules and Regulations which requires the county to follow up after a subdivision is built.

“All subdivision improvement projects shall be constructed according to the approved plans and specifications of a registered professional engineer. When the improvements required by this regulation have been completed and installed, the registered professional engineer shall submit a letter to the County Road department certifying that the improvements and installations have been made in accordance with approved construction plans, specifications, drawings, and the standards established by the county and are functioning properly. Additional inspections shall be made in accordance with other applicable ordinances.”

Saline County Subdivision Rules and Regulations 9.7 (a)

Neighbors said the current rules were not in place during the time the subdivision was built.

“It blows my mind. They have to approve the plan, but they don’t have to actually follow through with it at all,” Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh said he’s hit a dead end, unsure of who to turn to for help.

The original developer of the subdivision Aaron Jones was arrested and charged with arson in 2011. He is no longer in the business.

Eyes now shift to the POA, but Kavanaugh fears that could be a large expense for the association.

“It’s got to be six figures at least,” Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh said the POA would have to drain years’ worth of the budget in order to get a ditch installed.

He said he hopes the story will open the conversation about possible solutions for the neighborhood.

“If this is an issue for both streets, we need to try and at least address it,” Kavanaugh said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.