Road Rage: People in One Community Demand Explanations for Poor Plowing
By: Laurie Monteforte
Updated: January 4, 2013
Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County - Some roads in Monroe County remain covered with snow and ice, five days after our last storm.
People who live in the Monroe Lake Shores Development of Middle Smithfield Township say their roads are dangerous. Since it is a private development, the township is not responsible to clear the roads there. That's up to the private community association. Residents say community leaders are not doing their job.
They say it's a problem they've dealt with every winter for years. A few years ago Alona and Phillipe Druot's home in Monroe Lake Shores burned to the ground. The home smoldered while a fire truck was stuck on their snow covered street. Alona frowned, "It didn't have to burn down, they would have got there on time we probably would still have a house."
The couple now lives in a family member's home in the same development. They say the winter road situation has not improved over the years. Alona complained, "You're afraid for your car, you're afraid for your life."
Residents told Eyewitness News the community only plows if the snow is at least three and a half inches deep. They also said the plow driver waits until a storm is completely over before he starts to work. They added that the community puts cinders down on main roads but not on side roads. "It's not very pleasant," said Philippe.
Many residents said when it snows it can take days before a steep hill is clear enough for cars to pass. So they park at the base of the hill and hike home. Philippe said that is dangerous for him because he has a rare blood clotting disorder. He explained, "If I fall, if I get a bruise it could turn deadly. I have to be careful."
Other people said community dues are almost $500 a year and they are supposed to cover road maintenance. Dorothy Kopasz complained, "There's no excuse why I'm not getting what I'm supposed to get."
People who live in the development say they know their roads can look better than they do, because the township roads that connect to them are perfectly clear. Philippe said, "I don't understand how the township can actually get the road clean and Monroe Lake cannot."
The Druots hope something changes soon, before anyone else faces a tragedy like they did.
Eyewitness News contacted the Monroe Lake Shores Office multiple times. No one there returned a request for comment on this story.
