COPPELL, Texas -- Neighbors on Parker Drive in Coppell continue to wait for solutions as Denton Creek erodes their backyards.
It's bittersweet, because for many neighbors, the creek was the reason they bought homes on Parker Drive.
"You don’t get a whole lot of this in the Dallas-Fort Worth," said David Bell. "That’s one of the things that drew me here and made me willing to pay the extra premium for this property."
He didn’t know then, more than 20 years ago, that the creek would tank his home’s value and swallow a corner of his backyard.
"Fortunately I don’t have a dog or kids that might be in danger by going down there, but yeah that’s definitely taking a toll," he said.
It's a steep toll, eroded by high water from heavy rain in the creek and fluctuations in releases from the Corps of Engineers. WFAA visited these same homes in March of 2016. Since then the trees and weeds have grown, and the properties have shrunk.
"We are losing more backyard," said Jitendra Nagale, who lives down the block.
In the two years since WFAA visited, neighbors have continued to fight. They tried to take the developer to court and begged the City of Coppell for solutions, but every time they’ve hit hurdles – hearing that since this is private property, it’s a private problem.
The City says it is currently studying Denton Creek, with the aim of brainstorming solutions. But it’ll be up to the homeowners to pay for. Neighbors say they don’t have that kind of money.
"I think the best solution for us now is just to wait and hope that it will just fall off and probably our flood insurance will take care of it," said Nagale.
Desperate options for homeowners still waiting for a better idea.