Georgia Condo Sinkhole Causes Inconvenience, Stress

A condo sinkhole in a Marietta neighborhood is causing much stress and inconvenience. But the community is determined to get through the ordeal together.

First Spotted

On Wednesday night, a Bentley Ridge Condominium Complex resident noticed a sinkhole in the community. On Thursday, while responding to an unrelated call in the neighborhood, the Cobb County Fire Department inspected the sinkhole and blocked it off after deeming it hazardous.

“We heard a neighbor screaming down here. She was trying to get ahold of someone because there was this hole in the road,” HOA Secretary Dawn Gehde told local news.

While the sinkhole does not appear very big at first glance, a closer inspection of the opening reveals that the hole under the surface could be as wide as the roadway. With such a large coverage, heavy loads that pass over it would fall in.

Repairs are currently underway, though efforts have blocked off more than 70 units. Residents in about seven buildings can’t drive to their homes. With one way in and out, they can only get to and from their homes through a separate walking path.

It is unknown when repairs will finish and how much it will cost.

Stressed Out

The condo sinkhole is understandably causing a lot of stress for residents. At the very least, many residents feel that the sinkhole is an inconvenience, though they know that repairs are necessary.

Some residents have to park about half a mile away from their homes while crews repair the sinkhole damage. One resident had planned to leave over the weekend because they knew the repairs would only freak them out.

Despite this, residents are banding together as a community to help each other out. They coordinate carpools, get each other groceries, etc. They see this as an opportunity to work through the situation as a united neighborhood.

Since the sinkhole is on a privately owned road, the county is not responsible for fixing it. It is up to the condo association. The condo’s management company has yet to make a statement.