Creekside homeowners say Vince Ford retention pond flooding damaged yards; board authorizes contract negotiations

A Creekside homeowners leader told the Richland School District One board on March 26 that runoff linked to construction at the Vince Ford Early Learning Center has repeatedly flooded backyards and entered homeowners' sunrooms.

"We are the community of homes that is adjacent to the under-construction Vince Ford Early Learning Center," said Charles Scriven, vice president of the Creekside Homeowners Association. He told the board the retention pond releases have caused standing water in yards and two to three inches of water in sunrooms for several households, and that risk-management staff had not followed up on a promised site visit three weeks after his report.

The administration said an assessment was performed on the retention pond and that reinforcement of barriers had been completed to reduce further overflow, but the board heard that homeowners' claims of property damage had not yet been addressed.

Later on the agenda, Dr. Richardson asked the board to authorize the administration to negotiate and execute changes to the construction agreement with the project contractor for the Vince Ford Early Learning Center. The recommended actions included the option of a temporary suspension of the contract "in an effort to preserve resources and decrease cost to taxpayers." The board approved the administration's recommendation unanimously.

Commissioners and residents requested follow-up on damage assessments and compensation where appropriate; the board's vote grants staff authority to pursue contract changes but did not specify compensation amounts or a timetable for homeowner remediation.