Kaicey Baylor joined WJZ as a reporter in October 2024. Before coming to Charm City, she spent the last three years as a morning reporter and multiskilled journalist at 13News Now in Norfolk, Virginia. She covered several stories including the Chesapeake Walmart mass shooting, the Richneck Elementary shooting, as well as anti-gun violence advocates working to repair their communities.
The property owner of Ashland Corner Shopping Center in Baltimore County said Baltimore City denied his request for reimbursement for spending thousands to clean up a water main break in July.
Mike Drzewiecki owns the Ashland Corner Shopping Center on York Road. He said he spent roughly $8,600 to clean up a detention pond on his property after a watermain break during the summer.
"I had just spent a lot of money just to get the detention pond into compliance," Drzewiecki said. "Now, this kind of fooky accident happens."
Reimbursement request denied
Drzewiecki put in a claim with Baltimore City since they handle the water infrastructure on York Road.
Months later, Drzewiecki received a denial letter from the city that said, "There were no recent, prior reports or complaints from the public, including 311 calls to the City of Baltimore."
At first, Drzewiecki thought the city denied that the water main break ever happened. So, he followed up with the claim.
According to Drzewiecki, the city responded, saying: "The letter doesn't deny the water break. We received several calls regarding the break that took place. And DPW responded timely to make the area safe. The claim was denied since there was no prior notice of any defect before the break to place."
"It's totally ridiculous and an impossible standard to meet because I have no way to look underneath the street," Drzewiecki said.
Drzewiecki also pointed to the fact that the county had plans to address the aging infrastructure.
"It's silly," he added. "They've been working to replace these pipes up and down York Road for the past 20 years."
Drzewiecki said he has consulted a lawyer on the next steps. Though he said he's not interested in pursuing legal action.
Water main break on York Road
The aging 30-inch water main ruptured on York Road between Schilling Road and Ashland Avenue, closing the road for multiple days.
Officials said an improvement project was already in the works further down the road.
DPW officials said York Road reopened days later after contractors patched up the road.
The water main break caused low water pressure at local businesses, forcing some to close for the weekend.
Lauren Buckler, the director of Public Works and Transportation, said the project involves adding a new water line and later disconnecting the old 30-inch line.
She stated the county has been working on the improvement project for more than two decades. In July, she said it could take an additional two years to complete.