FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — Tenants at a Fayetteville shopping plaza say they were never told about years of recurring sewage problems before signing multi-year leases, leaving several businesses closed for months.
City records obtained by Channel 2 Action News show sewage-related complaints at the shopping plaza on Highway 314 date back to at least 2019. The records also indicate the issues are on the private side of the sewer line not the city’s.
Business owners say a major sewage backup forced them to shut down about two months ago, leaving some storefronts partially closed and others completely vacant while remediation crews removed contaminated flooring and walls.
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“What we’re facing now has happened three prior times in this complex itself,” said Shawn Bell, owner of Da Loaded Mac.
Bell said he repeatedly warned property management about sewage odors after opening his restaurant about a year ago.
“We would smell the awful smells in the air,” Bell said.
Other tenants say the backup devastated their businesses.
“It basically wiped out the entire shopping center,” said Demetrius Moore, who owns a gym in the plaza.
Courtney Hayes, who opened a paint studio shortly before the sewage backup, said the timing was devastating.
“To have a grand opening and then three weeks later have a 15-inch sewage backup is devastating,” Hayes said.
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City records document a pattern of sewage-related issues over several years. A sewage backup was reported in 2019. In 2021, a business at the plaza failed a grease trap inspection. Additional complaints about sewer odors were documented in 2023.
The records also show a Smoothie King that previously operated at the shopping center relocated across the street because of recurring sewage issues.
Since Channel 2’s previous report, the City of Fayetteville has issued the property’s owner a stop-work order. According to city officials, the owner began repairs without first obtaining the required permits to excavate.
Documents show the city warned the owner during an inspection in June. By July, records indicate the required permits still had not been obtained, and the city cited the owner again.
Channel 2 contacted both the property owner and the property manager but did not receive a response.
Tenants say they are also frustrated that management continues to demand nearly $8,000 a month in rent while their businesses remain unable to operate.
“What can we do? You’re asking for rent money for the past two months that we’ve been closed,” Bell said.
Some tenants have retained attorneys and are now questioning why they were signed to multi-year leases without being told about the property’s history of sewage problems.
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