Resident urges city action after repeated slope failures at The Grove development

At the general public-comment period on Nov. 18, resident Paul Middlebrooks told the Perry City Council that repeated slope failures along a 1,200-foot bank next to his property at The Grove development have continued to expand over several months and pose a risk to neighboring apartments.

Middlebrooks provided photos to the council and summarized recent failures, including a large slide in April and another event reported on Aug. 28. He said a stabilization plan had been submitted to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) but characterized the developer’s current work as exploratory — removing debris and sampling soils rather than a final, engineered corrective plan. “Would you let your family live in that apartment with the possibility of a landslide?” he asked the council.

Middlebrooks urged the city to hold the developer accountable and to require a sound, long-term fix rather than temporary measures. Mayor and staff responded that they would review the material and that Middlebrooks would send an electronic copy of his packet to the city manager.

In a separate public comment, Peggy Davis said she had submitted a letter a month earlier outlining concerns about the Oldfield and Hilltop areas and said she had not yet received a response; staff committed to follow up.

What happens next: Council and staff indicated they will review Middlebrooks’ materials, coordinate with the city manager’s office and respond to the residents’ requests. The transcript does not record any immediate enforcement action or a formal motion.