AKRON — Akron residents are voicing their concerns to city officials after they say damage to their homes surfaced following the launch of the city's sewer tunnel project.
Residents along Mustill and Cuyahoga streets have reached out to the city after noticing cracks and other damage to their homes.
"When your kids wake up in the middle of the night and they say ‘Did you feel that? Did you feel the house move?” and the only thing I can say is it’s because of the construction," said Daika Moegerle who lives in her family's more than 100-year-old home.
Despite the home's age, Moegerle said the problems began to surface within the past few years, during the city’s active tunnel project near Mustill and Cuyahoga streets, part of Akron’s EPA-mandated combined sewer overflow project.
"You can see along the ceiling and the walls, everything is cracking and crumbling."
Moegerle said issues with the home's original hardwood flooring are beginning to surface as floorboards have separated leaving noticeable gaps.
"This wasn’t like this."
Moegerle said her neighbors have had similar issues, including her mother’s home next door. She pointed to the home's wall and ceiling cracks as well as leaks near the chimney.
Moegerle noted that trees cut behind their property resulted in "shaking" at the home, but city spokeswoman Ellen Lander Nischt said the city of Akron did not cut trees behind the homes of Mustill and Cuyahoga streets.
In between the homes sits a seismograph to measure motion of the ground which was placed at the location by the city. City officials said they have not recorded any severe movement or vibrations.
Structural engineers conducted several inspections in the area, but have not found any evidence to suggest the construction has caused issues, according to Nischt and Akron's deputy service director Chris Ludle.
Officials said they are investigating each case separately and have asked residents to track and list the issues that surfaced. The city also said they have taken steps to address other concerns including the dust and noise in the area, by restricting construction hours and adding sprinklers to decrease the dust accumulation.
Moegerle hopes a solution can be found because she doesn't want to move.
"We all have been here for a long time," said Moegerle. "We’re just asking that are homes be brought back to what is was before construction."