https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/johnson-county-neighbors-seek-answers-as-roads-crumble-in-their-development/A group of Johnson County neighbors built their dream homes in a new development, only to watch the roads begin to crumble within a few years. They say the issue is further compounded because no one is taking responsibility for the repairs.
"It's just really frustrating because everyone's just pointing fingers instead of someone taking responsibility," said Sarah Birchmeier. She and her husband built their home for their growing family in March 2022. "The goal is for this to be a forever home," she said.
Just down the street is the country sanctuary of Paula Woods' dreams.
"It's supposed to be my retirement home," Woods said. "But unfortunately for me, every time it rains, pieces of the road actually go into my yard."
The streets in their neighborhood are falling apart. Massive potholes mark the main intersection at Rock Dove Road and Scissor Tail Drive.
"It's continuously getting worse and worse, and as you can see, it is actually undrivable at this point," said Woods.
The neighbors keep hitting dead ends with every attempt to get the roads fixed. Each municipality in Texas has its own rules and standards when it comes to the construction and maintenance of public roads. This neighborhood is outside both Godley and Joshua city limits, so they're not responsible for servicing the streets. As it turns out, neither is Johnson County.
"Everyone says the county should fix it, but the county is saying the developer should fix it," Birchmeier said. According to the county, this problem falls on the developer, Silveroak Realty. County commissioners approved the final plat in 2018, giving Silveroak Realty the ability to start selling lots, with the caveat that streets were built to county specifications.
