BY ALLEN HOWARD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ron Banks is losing part of his property to retaining walls, but the walls might save the rest of his back yard.
In less than five years, he said, water rushing down Amberley Creek has eaten away about 35 feet of his back yard in the 8000 block of Debonair Court in Roselawn.
The city of Cincinnati has agreed to construct the $1.8 million retaining walls stretching 1,500 feet along both sides of the creek to prevent further erosion of Mr. Banks' and nine other residents' yards.
Parts of the properties near the creek are needed to build a wall foundation.
"The city took about 15 feet of my property on the other side of the creek," Mr. Banks said. "I am just glad to see the wall going up to stop the erosion."
The dispute with the city about the creek started almost 20 years ago, but very little was done.
When Mr. Banks moved in four years ago, he experienced the problem firsthand.
"It didn't take me long to see what was happening. Every time there was a heavy rain, I could see chunks of my yard being washed away, 2 and 3 feet at a time," Mr. Banks said.
He organized the neighbors in the 10 houses along the dead-end street. After meetings with the city bogged down, Mr. Banks threatened to sue.
City officials toured the area and saw the erosion problem. City engineers decided retaining walls were the best solution. "The wall will be built right up to the back yards," said Bob Jansen, chief engineer for Metropolitan Sewer District.
Wes Wimmer, supervising engineer, said it will be the first time the city has used this kind of retaining wall to stop erosion by a creek. "We will start the wall just east of Stillwell Street and build it along Debonair Court to the Cross County Highway and on to Mill Creek."
Another resident, Marie Robinson, said that for 20 years she has been afraid to go to bed at night when it rained.
"I didn't know if I would wake up the next day and find my back yard completely washed away," she said.
Engineers said the problem started more than 30 years ago, when developers were allowed to fill in portions of the creek upstream from Debonair Court to get salable lots to build the Don Rich subdivision.
erosion-control project in Roselawn. Owners of the houses on the left, which sit on Debonair Court, have seen chunks of property washed away.
