WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Wilson County homeowners are worried that nearby construction blasting may be damaging their homes, with some residents reporting cracks in foundations, siding and driveways.
Donna Mabry discovered concerning cracks outside her Mount Juliet home, describing one as "pretty big" and "a little more than a cosmetic thing."
For about the past year, Mabry and her neighbors on the north side of Lebanon Road have noticed increasing cracks and fractures in their homes, siding, drywall and driveways.
"It's like a rumble. You feel vibration go through your house," Mabry said. "If you're doing one blast there might be a crack or two, but when you're facing repeated blast throughout each week that can add up."
The West Wilson Utility District is conducting blasting operations nearby to prepare for a new water plant due to rapid area growth. However, homeowners say there's insufficient communication about the blasts and little assistance in determining whether the operations are impacting their properties.
"The minor stuff I can deal with. It's progress, right? I get it," Mabry said. "But it's concerning when I can't see what's happening underneath the drywall. It's always someone pointing the finger at someone else with no real solution or understanding."
Michael Clay, spokesperson for West Wilson Utility District, acknowledged the situation.
"Growth comes with growing pains and sometimes blasting comes with growing pains," Clay said.
As a private entity, the utility district says they're responding to calls and have placed seismographs in the neighborhood. Clay says they will also send out a geologist after receiving concerned calls from residents. He says all their readings indicate the blasts are below the state threshold.
"We are looking into it and hope to find a solution," Clay said.
The homeowners want accountability and cooperation rather than blame-shifting.
"Quit passing the buck," one resident said. "We wanna work together we're not trying to be mean."
While nearby blasting may be necessary to cut through hard rock for development, these homeowners feel caught between progress and property damage.
Clay says the utility district's board is working to compile a list of complaints to work toward a potential solution.
This situation follows a recent case where nearby blasting left another Wilson County homeowner with $10,000 in foundation repairs.
Know of other neighborhoods dealing with construction-related property concerns? Help us investigate by reaching out to Amanda at Amanda.Roberts@NewChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts 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.
