UPDATE: Frustration builds as cleanup continues after storm
An engineer with El Paso County said there are plans to fix the area around Pinto Pony Road to prevent flooding on homeowners’ properties during heavy rain in the future.
Pinto Pony Road was shut down because heavy rain last Thursday night washed out large portions of it, making it almost impassable.
Gary Wright has lived on the road for two decades. He said storm water runoff wasn’t a problem during his initial years on the property. However, he said as areas upstream of his property become more developed, runoff during heavy rain started to wreak havoc on his land.
“Everyone needs a place to live. And I understand that. And there are a lot of people in the world anymore. I don’t understand it all impacting us. I don’t understand how it can be that life goes on pretty good over there and we get this,” said Wright.
He said parts of the road as well as storm water runoff wash heavy silt across his yard and up to his front door. He spent the past weekend hauling it away and hasn’t even tackled the back of his property yet.
“I’m sure it can be fixed. I didn’t cause this problem but it’s sure taking our home from us. I don’t know how many more times I can do this, physically and mentally. If I didn’t have good equipment and a good back, we would have been done a long time ago,” said Wright.
The road is patched up after each rain but Wright said the bigger problem of storm water runoff isn’t addressed. He said he has voiced concerns for more than a decade and the area has been surveyed twice, but nothing has changed.
“I am supposed to sit on my hands apparently. I’m not sure why we should have to go through what we are going through constantly and every time a rain cloud comes through worry about it,” said Wright.
El Paso County engineerAndr Brackin said the county just wrapped up a three-year engineering survey of the area and has used the information to formulate a plan to prevent flooding.
He echoed what Wright said about more problems due to an increasing number of developments up stream.
The county plans to build a sediment collection pond and drainage ditch. The drainage ditch will run through private property. Brackin said the task now is to convince owners to allow the work to be done on their land.
Wright said he will remain skeptical under water stops hitting his property during heavy rain.
Pinto Road remains closed from Rio Road to Chief Road.
