NKY condos evacuated due to 'active landslide'

SOUTHGATE, Ky. – More than three dozen people at a Northern Kentucky condominium were advised Friday to evacuate due to an "active landslide" potentially caused by government sanitation work.

Now those residents at the Woodland Hills Condominiums in Southgate don't know when or if they'll be able to live in their homes again.

The news comes after Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky (SD1) began constructing a sewer expansion project south of one of the condo buildings, according to a letter residents received Friday from Wood + Lamping law firm, which is representing the condo homeowner's association.

"The excavation and construction work potentially caused a shifting in the hillside which has caused the recent cracks and other issues in the building which you and your neighbors have been noticing," the letter read.

Evacuation a 'precautionary measure'

The SD1's structural engineer is "strongly recommending" that residents from three condo buildings evacuate "as soon as possible as a precautionary measure," the letter read.

SD1 is working with the Woodland Hills Homeowners Association to determine the cause of hillside slippage, said Chris Cole, Director of Enterprise Communications for SD1.

SD1 and the association are also working to determine a solution for residents. The two organizations will use a relocation specialist to help residents find places to stay, they said in a joint statement Monday.

The specialist will contact each resident beginning Monday to assess their circumstances, including family size, pets, ADA needs, and convenience.

"Once we have identified the needs of the residents, SD1 and the HOA will work together to ensure all residents have an opportunity to relocate without facing a financial hardship," the statement read.

'How dire is the situation?'

Josh Neal, 43, said he just purchased his floor-level condo in November  – a way of celebrating the end of his student debt payments.

He found the letter from Wood + Lamping law firm on his doormat when he took his trash out Friday evening.

"All of this affects us, but we're not told anything. There's so many unknowns. There's so many. I have no idea what is going to happen, how things are going to take shape," he said. "How dire is the situation?"

As of Monday afternoon, Neal has not been contacted or informed about a relocation specialist.

Neal currently pays a $1,500 mortgage each month and has no nearby family members he can stay with.

Staying at a hotel with his cat Maximus isn't practical because he doesn't know how long he'd have to live there or how much it would cost.

Some of his neighbors have been staying elsewhere since the weekend. But he's stayed in his home, kind of in denial, he said.

"I'm still wrapping my head around all of this because my greatest fear now is that I've got a mortgage for $145,000 to $150,000 that isn't gonna be worth that. So, now I'll always be in debt, which I fought so hard to not be in debt," he said.

What's next for Woodland Hills

A Monday afternoon email from the Woodland Hills Condominium Association said the hill movement and building condition are being monitored.

The association said geotechnical engineers are working to prevent more slippage and reinforce the hill.

"These measures may include retaining walls, drainage systems, and other structural reinforcements," the letter said.

A resident meeting is scheduled Aug. 5 where more information about the situation could be provided.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY condos evacuated due to 'active landslide'