HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Hendersonville homeowner is watching cracks spread through her walls and ceiling, and she believes intense blasting from a nearby construction project is to blame.
Despite filing multiple complaints with state authorities, CJ Stapleton says nothing has changed.
"It's the absolute feeling of you can't do anything about it," Stapleton said. "There's nothing you can do, you can't stop them. You just can't stop them. And it just gets worse."
The cracks in Stapleton's home appeared six months ago and are only getting wider and deeper. She points to damage throughout her living space, where she spends most of her time.
"It started a little bit, and then it was more and more, and now it's quite noticeable," Stapleton said.
The construction site of concern is less than a mile from her house on Molly Walton Drive. Public social media posts advertise 500,000 square feet of industrial space being built there.
The timing troubles her most. After more than two decades without problems, the cracks coincided with ramped-up blasting at the site.
"This is my living space. I have my TV and everything here," Stapleton said. "So I'm sitting in my chair and looking at everything going on."
Stapleton has pictures from a July assessment showing her house wasn't as damaged before blasting intensified. The documentation could help her prove a connection between the construction and her home's deterioration.
"It makes me mad. It makes me want to go over and start yelling: Who's responsible for this? Why are you doing this?" Stapleton said. "Why didn't you tell us? What are you going to do about my home?"
The State Fire Marshal's Office can stop blasting for up to five days under specific conditions, but it cannot require repairs or compensation. Violations are based on exceeding blasting limits, not the number of complaints or reported damage.
The regulatory limitations leave Stapleton feeling powerless.
"I'm just flabbergasted. I don't know... God's the only one who can help me now, looks like," Stapleton said. "It doesn't seem that anyone around here - human-wise - is willing to do anything."
Stapleton plans to call the same assessor back out to document the worsening damage.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, which oversees the State Fire Marshal's Office, regulates blasting in Tennessee and fields numerous questions from the public about blasting rules and procedures. Consumers can learn more about filing blasting complaints and read up on frequently asked questions about the regulations online.
I submitted records requests with the Fire Marshal's office to learn more about the project and any complaints that have been filed.
This story was reported on-air by Hannah McDonald and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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