Jeff Jones, representing the residents on Nutmeg Meadow Drive in Plymouth, complained to the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning about road work in that subdivision.
Jones presented a petition of names of neighbors who are unhappy with the conditions of the road after the Marshall County Highway Department completed chip seal operations there.
“Everyone I talked to the first question I asked was, ‘How happy are you with the roads out here at Nutmeg Meadow from what they’ve just done?’ A couple of them asked, ‘Are they done? Is this it?’ Everyone has said, ‘I hate them,’” said Jones.
He commented that issues with the road were not addressed before chip seal work was done. He complained of ridges in the road and standing water after rain storms and overall drainage issues.
Jones asked the commissioners to address the complaints.
Highway Superintendent Jason Peters said there are water issues and bumps and ridges, but the chip seal work extended the life of the road three-to-five years, which was cost-effective for the road program budget. Peters noted that any further work concerning drainage could create more issues.
“To go in and berm and cut ditches back in, I don’t there would be that many happy residents out there by moving mailboxes and moving irrigation systems,” stated Peters. “They’re right out at the edge of the roadway. Probably the right-of-ways out there, I’m guessing, is forty-five feet which would put it well back into the ditch lines. Over the years, the ditch lines get filled in, people bring them in, raise them up and plant grass back in them which takes away the drainage.” The commissioners said they would look at the issue with Peters and come up with an answer to the residents’ complaints.
