Neighbors and developer dealing with pothole problem

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The Orchard North Subdivision in Evansville has been plagued with potholes.

Neighbors say the road has been deteriorating for over a year, and the developer has failed to address the growing potholes.

That developer is Dan Buck with Field Stone Development LLC. He’s the one who purchased the land the subdivision was built on.

Jagoe Homes is the contractor, tasked with building the homes. They say the build-out was completed in Nov. 2022.

According to Evansville city code, the developer is tasked with building the road, and completing it once construction wraps up. From there, the city assumes responsibility for maintaining the road.

Buck says he was waiting until winter passed before finishing the road. He says you can’t surface a road in wet or cold temperatures.

Neighbors said the potholes were such a problem they needed to be addressed sooner. They wrote several letters to Buck, and copied city officials on the letters.

The city decided they would get involved.

A letter from the City Engineer, obtained by 14 News, says,

“Since the developer has failed to complete the streets in the subdivision as required by the city’s subdivision code, the City of Evansville took steps to liquidate the Letter of Credit posted by the developer as security for completion of the improvements which the developer agreed to complete in connection the platting of the subdivision.”

The city has now hired a subcontractor using that liquidated money to patch the potholes. City engineers say that contract was recently agreed to, and work is expected to start near the end of May.

After the holes are repaired, it’s still on Buck to pave the road.

He says he plans to do that, but it could take several months to hire a contractor for the paving.

Buck says if the city hadn’t stepped in and liquidated his Letter of Credit with his bank, the road would be fixed by now.

Neighbors say they’ve had flat tires due to the potholes. One neighbor said she was worried about the safety of the road, since the curb is still raised a few inches off the road.

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