7 On Your Side: County moves to fix problems in Capitol Heights
After seeing ABC7's 7 On Your Side investigation last night, top officials in Prince George's County are now taking swift action to fix a dangerous problem in a Capitol Heights neighborhood.
Only hours after 7 On Your Side informed county leaders that they hadn't replaced missing man hole covers in this unfinished neighborhood - as they had promised - new manhole covers appeared.
But the question still remains, why hasn't the county fixed this road.
When 7 On Your Side started investigating the mess that is the Addison Glen townhouse community, we noticed that two deep storm drains didn't have manhole covers, a clear safety hazard to children who walk this route.
7 On Your Side informed county leaders more than a week ago.
PHOTOS: See photos of the development.
After a county official said the issues had been addressed, and thanked ABC7 for bringing them to their attention, 7 On Your Side checked and found that all the county did was place plywood over the holes.
The county's reason, according to spokesperson Susan Hubbard was that they were waiting on a new order of covers to come in.
Residents insist the missing manhole covers are a symptom of a much more distressing problem.
The developer, Mike Carnock, admits to 7 On Your Side that he never finished the main road in front of the neighborhood because most his lenders went out of business during the credit crunch.
Residents say major work hasn't been done out here in more than a year, threatening their safety and their sanity. They'd leave, they say, but who would buy a home with the view they have?
They want to know when the county will do the right thing and finish this road.
Hubbard says the department simply doesn't have the money to fix an eyesore that is the responsibility of someone else. The county could take this matter to court, which could take years to resolve and that would leave residents years more to live in the mess.
County officials tell 7 On Your Side they are ready to take the developer to court and if the legal process to force the developer to finish this road doesn't move quickly, the department may step in and do more for this neighborhood. But we won't know that until the fall.
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