HOPE — A potentially dangerous sinkhole next to the Hope Town Square might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
A passerby recently discovered a depression and hole in an asphalt parking space along Washington Street, about 50 feet east of State Road 9 (Main Street), Hope Utility Superintendent David Clouse said.
Although the damaged area was about 30 inches wide, a much larger underground gap had formed after a collapse of the storm water system below, he said.
Since a similar sinkhole was discovered along the same street about six years ago, Clouse said he knew how to patch what he determined to be a broken capstone.
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Just one day after town officials learned of the sinkhole, crews began digging four feet down to make necessary repairs that ended with a concrete patch to replace the capstone, Clouse said.
The depression and hole was likely caused by high temperatures, as well as the weight of vehicles much heavier than the original late 19th century infrastructure was designed to handle, the utilities director said.
Members of the Hope Town Council have been aware there are substantial problems under Washington Street.
During a Jan. 16 meeting, council member Clyde Compton said the town needed to replace storm sewers and water lines there within the next three to five years.
Compton said another project the town needed to address is sanitary sewer repairs in the Goshen Meadows subdivision.
The two projects could cost an estimated $1 million each, and Compton said in January the town could not afford to fix either problem.
But when the sinkhole was discovered this month, the town was preparing to submit an application for a $608,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), Clouse said.
If the town receives the money, the deteriorating underground infrastructure will be upgraded along a three-block area of Washington Street, from State Road 9 east to the Community Center of Hope, Clouse said.
In regard to the grant application, the utilities directors said the timing of the sinkhole couldn’t have been better, the utilities director said.
By including evidence of two separate and dangerous sinkholes with their application, Hope officials are optimistic they have significantly increased their chances of receiving the grant, Clouse said.
In any case, Hope residents will have to wait until Jan. 17 to find out if the town receives the money, Clouse said.
If approved, the town will still have to provide 10 percent in matching funds for the Washington Street project, he said.
