Earlier this summer it was filled with big puddles that we had named after our grandchildren. Lake Alexis, Tucker Lake, Ashlee Lake's were the big mom-mooes. Lake Alexis was the largest and the deepest lake, I mean puddle! That puddle trapped my sister Millie so that she had to call us for assistance.
She was leaving one day in the early spring when she got to the middle of the puddle and sort of spun out; instead of gunning it she stopped. I think there was a bit of ice under the puddle-water, so she got stuck. One of the kids drove out the driveway to help her, got her out (I don't know if they pushed her or pulled her) and then she laughed and went on her merry way. Shortly after that she got a flat tire before she made it out to the road! Poor Sis, no wonder she never comes out here anymore.
Anyway, we have been asking the City of Houston at the very least --- please come down our road with the grader. We would have been happy with the grader coming back here and smoothing out the ruts and then pushing a bit more dirt into the low puddle areas. But, when we asked Houston City Council they said, "We don't claim that as a road." What?
So, Doug called and asked Matsu Borough and they said since we are in the City limits of Houston, Houston is the ones to contact. So we go back and forth about this problem, meanwhile more spring happens and the road continues to get worse.
We have four employed drivers that leave on this road and come home on this road every week day. There are more that leave down the road a bit. Doug drives to work every two weeks. There's the daily driving in and out that goes on with mail checking, groceries, paying bills, etc., which equals more wear and tear and bottoming out the cars.
More phone calls and even a visit to the once a month City of Houston council meeting to make a face to face plea to them for help with the road. They continue to say it is not their problem, they don't claim this as a road! We can't believe that since they have put up public Lake Access signs to the lake! If they don't claim it as a road, how can they put up lake access signs? We asked them if we could put up a gate to keep people out since it was a private road... they said no we can't!
Finally, after more phone calls to Houston City Council and the Mayor they agree to provide us with some gravel to fill the low areas but we have to pick it up and that is all they said they will do.
A guy down the next street decides to help out the situation with his own equipment. He uses his dump truck to haul in gravel and a dozer to spread the dirt. We have a lumpy, stony road now, but the puddles are filled!
My son did some leveling with our John Deere tractor so that we can drive out our cars. Several days before that, I could not even leave home since Doug was gone with his big truck that week. It's decided that we will need to have some road equipment and trained road equipment workers to take care of this mess!
Last week we all attended the most recent City Council meeting to let them know that our road really is a problem and they need to claim it and then help fix it or we will pull down the lake access signs and close the road to the public. By the way, that council meeting was so interesting! I have never been to the meetings before and after that meeting I decided that I didn't want to miss the next one!
The Founder's Day planning committee was there and they were not happy with the councils decision about whether their event would be a city sponsored event or an event that did not get city backing. When one of the ladies walked out in a huff it appeared that they lost their main coordinator over something that everyone there could not really understand exactly what happened, except to say that "she is a very sensitive person."
Back to our road. The discussion for the road problem was put off until after the meeting when the Mayor took us to a back room to tell us that no, they did not have the money to help us and that road was not considered to be one of their roads either. He was told that it was on the City of Houston map! One very understanding council member there informed the Mayor that they did have money budgeted for road work and that they certianly could help out with our road, all the Mayor had to do was say yes, go a head and help them, but he would not. We finally left in frustration mode!
Since that day our neighbor says he has spoken with the Mayor again and supposedly help is on the way.
We shall see what happens with all this ---- down the road.
2 comments:
Wonderful beaureaucratic red tape, you gotta love it! We moved to Denton, Texas 13 years ago. Since that time, we have had 30 new subdivisions go in, along with 2 new middle schools, 2 new elementary schools (another one is currently being built) and Charlie's new high school all go in, within a 5 mile radius from us. In all that time we've had only one stoplight and one stop sign added. That's it! Driving kids to school in the AM has become really interesting with me finding alternate routes so I don't have to sit forever just trying to make a left turn. All I'm asking for is an additional stoplight but for whatever reason, the beaureaucrats haven't budged! I bet if they lived on the south side like us where all of the new growth was booming, they'd be screaming for a stoplight! Just like you, if any of those council members lived on your road, they'd probably have had it paved already!
Connie
((((Connie))))
I was just telling Millie yesterday how I live on the only unpaved road in town. But my problem is nothin' compared to yours! Only the people who live on this road (3 households) use this road so it's not a huge problem. But when we asked for it, they came and grated the road for us.
I hope that your road gets fixed...by the city...and soon. If not, then they should be getting the repair bills for all the work that will need to be done to your cars and tires!
If the lake is public, then the road leading to it should be, too.
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