Massive sinkhole continues to cause headaches for residents of La Habra condo complex
Every morning Insoo Kim wakes up and walks to his front door patio for a beautiful view of an expansive green fence covering a massive hole in the ground.
"This is very frustrating," said Kim. "This is all we have and we are retired already."
The sinkhole, which runs about 500 feet long and 20 feet wide, divides the Coyote Village and has caused headaches for those living in the La Habra condominium complex.
"Just seeing it get worse and worse, and not seeing any progress," said resident Justin Marinello.
It's not only an eyesore for Marinello but also a hazard for his 4-year-old son.
"This is the largest green belt that is supposed to be on this property," said Marinello. "You know to run around and play in the grass when we're here. The only place he can play is basically where cars drive."
The problems started back in 2019 when the area near the tennis courts first gave way. Then in March, with all the winter's rain, the land near the pool came crashing down.
Orange County originally cleaned up some of the mess in 2019. Since then, no one has touched the trench.
Running underneath the firmly lush green land is an underground flood control channel, hastily filled with dirt and covered with trees as well as a park. It has started a legal fight between the Homeowner's Association and the city as the two sides debate about who is responsible for the mess.
La Habra claims the sinkhole falls on private land. Furthermore, officials said that the development was approved to have three feet of soil sitting on top of it rather than nine feet when it was first built it was first built in the 1970s.
The HOA claims that the developer never told residents that their homes were on a former flood channel.
"I've just watched everything kind of slowly diminish," said Marinello. "If you look over there, there's wild bushes growing out."
No matter whose fault it is, the people living in the Coyote Village are left dealing with this less-than-ideal landscape, with many claiming its become a haven for bugs and mosquitos. Stacking upon the already long list of problems, no one has access to the pool or the tennis courts while still paying the $400 in HOA fees.
"No one takes care of it," said Kim. "No one takes responsibility of it."
Last year, Senator Josh Newman secured $8.5 million to help repair the area. Also, the city and HOA are closing in on an agreement that they plan to present to the city council Monday. If approved, it would go up through several more state approvals before construction can start, which is tentatively slated before the fall.
