TEMPLE, Texas — Most Temple homeowners have a driveway that connects to a local street. If you drive south on North 5th Street in the central area of the city, however, you'll see the street doesn't quite make it to the last house.
Christina Rodriguez said it's been an issue since she moved in four years ago and she can't get the city to do anything about it. Every time the city gets a good rain, she told 6 News water collects on the dirt road next to her driveway as well as up the street.
"It fills up and it gets scary because it comes all the way up to the house. On one part of the house it is one inch from going up to the house," Rodriguez said.
The pavement ends right at the same point the previous lot ends up the street. Rodriguez said the pavement should go all the way to her driveway.
"It's legally the street. It's not my property," Rodriguez said.
Unfortunately, at least part of the reason seems to stem from the previous property owner. Rodriguez said the owner illegally put a small cement bridge over a ditch just up the street.
When Rodriguez bought the property, the small cement structure had already fallen into disrepair, and the dirt road after it simply holds water.
She said the city had already decided that, since the property she now owns was the only property with access to the end of the street, everything past the bridge would be the driveway for that residence. She said the family was told they would still need a permit to make any changes.
"This is still theirs but we are supposed to maintain it, does that make sense?," Rodriguez asked.
Temple spokesman Cody Weems told 6 News Tuesday that the streets department had doubled checked and the bridge is not in the city right of way. According to the Bell CAD map, however, and county documents Rodriguez had already obtained, the street and cement bridge are not within her property lines either.
6 News is asking the city for additional clarification.
Weems said the Temple Streets Department is going to reach out to Rodriguez to see what kind of solutions would be available. He said the city would have more information on the issue after that department has got a chance to take a look at the location.