I live in the Country Woods development that borders Van Zile Road. This neighborhood has four retention basins –– two that face Van Zile and two others that are inside the development. In late November of 2002, the town took down the fences that surrounded the basins on Van Zile. This removal was done without any consultation with the people who lived near those basins.
These basins are not kept up by the town; there are large, sharp rocks at the drain openings as well as other dangerous debris that was left when the fences were taken down. At the same time the fences were taken down, the town planted trees and small bushes in early December of 2002, many of which have died.
My family and I live next to one of these basins and I have watched what goes on in there closely over the last year. The water drainage is not fast; in fact, there was a period from late December 2002 until about June 2003 where water was present in the basin at all times.
We have many small children in this neighborhood as well as some autistic children who live near these basins. With the fences gone, these children have direct access to a very busy Van Zile Road.
During the past six months I have attended Township Council meetings and sent two letters to the mayor about this issue. It seems as if no one really knows why the fences were taken down nor [do they] care. At one meeting, I was told that these areas are to be seen as an estuary and that they really should not be kept up with mowing and cleaning. Well these estuaries have turned into homes for skunks, ground hogs, possums and other unwanted animals.
The real issue here is that the town should have consulted the neighbors and come up with alternatives before taking down the fences. Apparently people complained that the fences were not appealing to the eye and did not care about the safety aspects of the fences. It is now just a matter of time before someone gets hurt inside of these areas.
Joe Glen
Brick