Tempe neighbors demand fix after irrigation pipe damaged during plaza construction

TEMPE, Ariz. - Residents in a historic Tempe neighborhood are speaking out after they say construction for a new shopping center has led to months of water-related torment.

Local perspective:

Chris Runion's family has lived in the same home near the Tempe intersection of Warner and Rural roads for more than 50 years. Her parents built the home in the early 1970s, and she moved in after her mother's death, more than 20 years ago.

When Runion first heard about the shopping plaza going up across the street from her home, she was mostly concerned about traffic patterns and parking limitations for patrons. Then, construction crews showed up to do what she was told would be simple excavation work in her front yard.

"A little bit of excavating turned into a nightmare," Runion said.

What Happened:

This past March, she says the work led to a damaged pipe.

"I discovered that the big pipe that was in there, which I'd never seen in my life, was leaking and it had a big claw mark that obviously came from the back hoe bucket," Runion said.

Runion says Thompson Thrift, the developer involved in the shopping plaza across the street, sent out contractors and subcontractors a half dozen times trying to fix the leak with no success, and at some point, the irrigation valve port in her front yard got covered up.

"I actually missed a couple of irrigations because when they filled in where my port was, I couldn't get water out of it, and so I had to call, and I just had to give my water up 'cuz it was too late to cancel," Runion said.

Construction Impact:

Now, over four months after the initial excavation, Runion said even routine yard work is a tough task.

"I can't just mow like I normally do because there's chunks of concrete, there's big rocks, there's netting; they have this obnoxious orange netting, plastic, some of it is buried under there sticking up," Runion said.

Big picture view:

Runion is part of the historic Tally Ho Farms neighborhood, and other neighbors say this issue has affected every home on this irrigation network.

Debbie Keller, Tally Ho Farms South Neighborhood Association chair, said, "Everyone irrigates. We've got huge, mature trees, grass everywhere, and it had been weeks with no water. Our water bills just went sky-high because everybody was using city water to keep their trees alive, to keep their grass from dying."

Neighbors Coming Together:

Multiple neighbors say they have contacted representatives of Thompson Thrift along with other parties they feel are responsible, with no remedy. Now, they are banding together to speak out and ask for a permanent fix.

Dominic Majors, a Tally Ho Farms resident, said, "We had a meeting here with all of our neighbors. There was a good 30 or 40 people that showed up and everybody's aware, everybody's concerned, but at the end of the day, we just want those responsible to take the right steps and remedy what they have caused."

Majors and Keller both said neighbors in Tally Ho Farms are protective of each other, and of the historic charm associated with their community. Majors said he may be one of the newer residents of the neighborhood, but he is happy to speak out to get the responsible parties to "do the right thing".

Dig deeper:

Runion says her trust in people has been shaken by the experience, and she just wants things to go back to the way they were, and had been for decades, outside her front door.

"It makes me feel like, well, you're just expendable, we have money, we have a beautiful plaza over there, it really is gorgeous, and I look at my property, and they used me," Runion said.

What they're saying:

A representative from Thompson Thrift shared the following statement with FOX 10 regarding this issue. 

"We are aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding the irrigation pipe adjacent to our retail development at the northwest corner of Rural Road and Warner Road in Tempe. We take these concerns seriously and understand the importance of this issue to nearby residents. For the past four decades, Thompson Thrift has developed projects across the country with the belief that successful developments begin with respectful, responsible, and engaged partnerships with the communities we serve. Those principles continue to guide our actions here. Throughout construction, we have worked with qualified contractors and other appropriate parties to address issues as they have arisen and will continue to do so."

The City of Tempe shared a statement with FOX 10 as well. 

"City of Tempe Engineering and Building Safety staff thoroughly reviewed the matter, including all applicable permits, the information provided, and an internal review. They visited the site in person as well. Based on our review, this appears to be a civil matter between the two parties. Our recommendation is that they work with their legal counsels and, if they believe it is appropriate, pursue any available remedies through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) or any other applicable state agencies. There are no legal city remedies available for this situation. We hope the two groups can find a swift solution to this matter."

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