Lake Orion Village resident Luis Rodriguez says the stretch of Grampian that he lives on hasn’t been graded by the Road Commission for Oakland County in a year, and he would like the village to consider having it paved.
The LO Village Council instead planned to ask for a written agreement with the RCOC for the road to be graded, by no later than Sept. 1, and if it’s not done by then, the village DPW will do the grading.
Rodriguez was before the council at the Aug. 28 meeting, and said he’s lived on the part of Grampian that’s located in the village for six years.
‘This has been going on for five years,? he said of the lack of grading. ‘The first year (I lived there), it was ok…but now (the RCOC) doesn’t do the village’s portion of the road.?
President Bill Siver asked if the RCOC was still grading the portion of Grampian located in Orion Township, and Rodriguez said they were.
Council member John Ranville wanted to know if the village had a work agreement in place for grading with the RCOC, and Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel said there is an agreement, but it’s currently only a verbal one.
‘That’s the problem then,? said Ranville. ‘It needs to be put in writing.?
The council would also like the road to be chlorided after it’s graded, which is another thing Rodriguez said wasn’t being done.
The council asked him to come back and report to them if the grading was not done by the RCOC as of Sept. 1.
Siver asked Rodriguez if he thought his neighbors would be interested in a Special Assessment District (SAD) to have the road paved.
The cost to pave the village’s portion of the road is estimated at $23,975, or $3,425 per benefiting property owner.
Van Tassel said there are three benefiting property owners on the north side, and four on the south side.
The property fronting Cinnamon Ridge is not benefiting, although that property owner’s yard abuts Grampian.
‘Why should we?? asked Rodriguez regarding forming an SAD. ‘I’ve been paying taxes for six years, and I haven’t seen anything.
‘Our road gets so bad sometimes we have to slow down to practically nothing,? he said. ‘If a big truck comes and grades the road, we know it….we’re basically grading our own road with little tractors.?
Rodriguez said only eight people live at the dead end of Grampian, and they feel like they’ve been forgotten.
‘It’s an inconvenience for us,? he said.
Van Tassel said she has spoken with the RCOC at least five times about the issue, because the last time the road was graded and chlorided, only the township’s portion was done.
She said the RCOC said workers were assigned to grade and chloride roads in Brandon Township on Aug. 14, and when they had time and materials left, they decided on their own to do other roads, including the township’s portion of Grampian.
Van Tassel said the RCOC said all of Grampian has been graded at least twice, with the latest being the first part of Aug.
‘I’ve talked to (RCOC Managing Director) Brent Bair’s office, and Neal Farner (manager of the RCOC’s District 3 garage in Orion),? she said.
‘Farner said the road would be done by Sept. 1.?
According to Craig Bryson, public information officer for the RCOC, Grampian was graded on Aug. 31, although the village’s end of the road is not really the RCOC’s responsibility.
‘That portion goes into the village, so it’s a village road, not a county road,? he said. ‘We usually don’t maintain (roads other than county roads), but we will grade it as a courtesy to the village.?
Bryson said the road will be graded, but that the RCOC would not be chloriding it.