08-27-2018 Council Work Session Packet

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8/27/2018 Orono Oaks Good morning, Adam. Thank you for taking the time to visit with me yesterday. I took the advice I was given and submitted a complaint at the City's website, but it doesn't really allow for much detail. So I thought I could send the details to you and you could share them with other members of the City Office, as you deem appropriate. Orono Oaks Drive is a private road and should be maintained by the Home Owners Association, but regrettably, such maintenance hasn't been done in many years. As a result, I believe the road has become a safety hazard. My specific concerns are: 1) At the north end of Orono Oaks drive, a culvert beneath the road collapsed, preventing rain runoff from flowing. In an effort to replace the culvert one of the residents started hired a contractor to dig up the road and Install a temporary culvert to allow the water to recede as it had begun to cover the road. When others objected, the project stopped, leaving the roadway in a state of disrepair. While it's true that cars can drive over the temporary aggregate pushed into the opening, I certain that large vehicles, like a fire truck or a school bus, could not travel over this area. This is a safety hazard. 2) The condition of the road has deteriorated so that there are several areas with large potholes and fractures in the road. This is a safety hazard to the public travelling on this road. 3) The roadside has not been maintained and vegetation and trees have been allowed to grow out over the road right of way, which makes it difficult for drivers to clearly see others using the road, particularly when turning on and off Orchard Drive. This is a hazard to public safety. 4) Residents have been allowed to place large rocks close to the roadway, which would be hazardous to traffic and public safety. 5) No provision is made for snow removal during the winter. One of the residents has used his own equipment to remove snow the past several years, but does so at his own discretion and without any obligation or compensation. This does not ensure access to the road in times of heavy snowfall and may prevent emergency vehicles from reach our neighborhood during an emergency. You would think that the residents would engage the Home Owners Associate to remedy these issues, but the HOA is dysfunctional and continues to fail in its duty to maintain the road. I have lived in the neighborhood for four years and nothing has been done in that time to properly maintain the road. I have been told that the HOA stopped functioning, didn't have annual meetings, didn't appoint a Board of Directors and so on for many years, perhaps dating back more than a decade before I moved here. I would ask that the City of Orono intervene and make the necessary repairs to Insure public safety. Orono Oaks Drive • Private Road and storm system developed in the late . a� f ``' - is ; 1970s'a 4• elf � �yk,. y��I��p{I • 2018 Received residents+,tt'yk. complaint and request for assistance, N. �.`� "• '' — Road side overgrown in areas. (' ( •_ — Potholes.v.F s F _a r — Culvert site left with open .4� Y excavation • Covenants and Easements allow for the city to intervene c" 'Y if the HOA fails to maintain the y street and the drainage: 1. Public Hearing _ _ s't + ` �' -'-y_ r i 2. Repair b 3. Bill 4. Assess Orono Oaks Good morning, Adam. Thank you for taking the time to visit with me yesterday. I took the advice I was given and submitted a complaint at the City's website, but it doesn't really allow for much detail. So I thought I could send the details to you and you could share them with other members of the City Office, as you deem appropriate. Orono Oaks Drive is a private road and should be maintained by the Home Owners Association, but regrettably, such maintenance hasn't been done in many years. As a result, I believe the road has become a safety hazard. My specific concerns are: 1) At the north end of Orono Oaks drive, a culvert beneath the road collapsed, preventing rain runoff from flowing. In an effort to replace the culvert one of the residents started hired a contractor to dig up the road and Install a temporary culvert to allow the water to recede as it had begun to cover the road. When others objected, the project stopped, leaving the roadway in a state of disrepair. While it's true that cars can drive over the temporary aggregate pushed into the opening, I certain that large vehicles, like a fire truck or a school bus, could not travel over this area. This is a safety hazard. 2) The condition of the road has deteriorated so that there are several areas with large potholes and fractures in the road. This is a safety hazard to the public travelling on this road. 3) The roadside has not been maintained and vegetation and trees have been allowed to grow out over the road right of way, which makes it difficult for drivers to clearly see others using the road, particularly when turning on and off Orchard Drive. This is a hazard to public safety. 4) Residents have been allowed to place large rocks close to the roadway, which would be hazardous to traffic and public safety. 5) No provision is made for snow removal during the winter. One of the residents has used his own equipment to remove snow the past several years, but does so at his own discretion and without any obligation or compensation. This does not ensure access to the road in times of heavy snowfall and may prevent emergency vehicles from reach our neighborhood during an emergency. You would think that the residents would engage the Home Owners Associate to remedy these issues, but the HOA is dysfunctional and continues to fail in its duty to maintain the road. I have lived in the neighborhood for four years and nothing has been done in that time to properly maintain the road. I have been told that the HOA stopped functioning, didn't have annual meetings, didn't appoint a Board of Directors and so on for many years, perhaps dating back more than a decade before I moved here. I would ask that the City of Orono intervene and make the necessary repairs to Insure public safety.