STATESVILLE, N.C. — A sinkhole near downtown Statesville is causing controversy for businesses in the area.
Ruby Lotharp, owner of Ruby’s Creations hair salon, said the sinkhole opened up on Nov. 5 along South Center Street. A woman fell into it when she stepped out of a car and onto the grassy area in front of the salon.
“Her upper body was still up, but her leg was down in the hole,” Lotharp said.
The City of Statesville sent out a release that said the woman was taken to Iredell Memorial Hospital to get checked out.
Since then, a portion of the sidewalk along the 500 block of South Center Street has been barricaded off around the sinkhole.
A spokesperson for the city said the sinkhole developed around a storm drain. Statesville City and NCDOT crews were on scene after the incident to evaluate the hole.
Lotharp said nothing has been done since November to repair the hole, and now it’s hurting her business since the barricade blocks off part of the sidewalk and street in front of it.
“A lot of people are kind of scared to come because they don’t know what’s going to happen by walking by that,” Lotharp added. “You don’t know. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The city sent business owners a three-sentence letter on Jan. 17 that read:
“This letter is to update you on efforts to repair the sinkhole located in the vicinity of your businesses on S. Center St. Some issues have arisen which have delayed the resolution of this problem. We will notify you on the progress of repairs as we are made aware of them.”
The delay is making business owners like Lotharp question why it is taking so long.
“I don’t know the reason why, because of the area we’re in, but I know that if anything were to happen uptown, they would get on it right then and there,” she said.
A city official told NBC Charlotte the city is working with NCDOT to resolve who is responsible for the repairs. No timeline was given for when the repairs would be made.
Lotharp said she doesn’t care who fixes the sinkhole, but would rather it’s done sooner than later.
“Listen and do something,” she said.