MOUNT JULIET. TENN. (WTVF) — A Mount Juliet homeowner is dealing with a $10,000 foundation repair bill that she believes is connected to construction blasting happening near her neighborhood.
Julie Silliman's Stonehollow home may look fine from the outside, but within three years, her foundation has shifted significantly. The damage became apparent when inspectors found that one corner of her house is no longer level and has actually sunk 3/4 of an inch.
"What he showed was this whole corner of the house is no longer level. It's actually sunk 3/4 of an inch," Silliman said.
The timing is suspicious. In 2022, inspectors found her foundation was level before wrapping her crawlspace. The foundation problems developed after nearby development began, bringing almost daily blasting.
"It's just common sense you have to follow the clue," Silliman said.
That clue is the explosive blasting from construction that started in the past year.
"You'll have the house go kaboom and it feels like it's rising and lowering. It feels like it's being lifted off its foundation and everything rattles. It's wonderful," Silliman said, choosing to laugh rather than cry about the situation.
The laughter becomes more strained when considering the $10,000 bill to stabilize her home.
"We're 99% sure it was caused by the blasting. It's a smoking gun, but it's very likely but can we prove it? No, so it's a concern. We are left holding the damages with no accountability," Silliman said.
Her concerns extend beyond her own property damage.
"I feel bad for the people right next-door to it, and yet we have evidence it's affecting me way over here," Silliman said.
Neighbors living even closer to the Bradshaw Farms and Stonehollow developments are experiencing similar disruptions. Some residents report their houses shaking during blasting, with pictures rattling on walls and floors vibrating.
"They're like oh my God am I getting another earthquake and I'm just like no it's just the construction," one neighbor said.
"It shakes the whole house. I feel it through the floor, the pictures rattle on the walls. It scares the kids. I find it really hard to believe it's not doing something to our foundation," another resident said.
While the explosive blasting is impossible to ignore, foundation damage like silent cracks or slow-moving shifts can be much more difficult to detect until significant damage occurs.
The developers did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published.
Adding to Silliman's concerns are plans for another development directly behind her house. The luxury, gated Mira Bella development is a multi-million dollar project that the Mount Juliet city commission did not approve, but plans will likely be brought before county leaders.
Mira Bella developer, Kyle Allen said they are currently working through options. He believes Stone Hollow residents would feel little to no impacts when the neighborhood is built.
"From my understanding Stone Hollow is concerned with Blasting. Installing a Sewer Line is much different than a development. It’s a simple trench roughly 5’0 to 8’0” in depth that has little to no impact on homeowners or roadways," he said in a text.
Allen says the board should have plans by the end of the year to consider.
Silliman worries about more blasting, this time even closer to her home.
Have you experienced similar property damage from nearby construction? Share your story with me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.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.
