HomeMy WebLinkAboutHearing Comment Norm Coyer re: 6 year TIP_ Van Trojen Rd________________________________
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Heidi Eisenhour, Chair
Board of Jefferson County Commissioners
Dear Heidi,
I am writing in response to the notice I received from Monte Reinders of the upcoming hearing next Monday, and the invitation to attend or submit comments in writing. I am unable to
attend but hope the information I'm including here is heard and considered at the hearing.
The comments and information I have to offer are not only my own but also gained from the perspective of having talked with many Fawn Meadows and Van Trojen neighbors who share the same
concerns. I was one of the three individuals who contacted the neighbors in conducting and submitting the survey which has been attached to the recent emails.
The conditions of Van Trojen road have been unsafe. I've lived in this neighborhood for three years. During that time I've seen a significant increase in traffic and deterioration of
the road. For several months this past summer the dust and washboards were so severe that it was not possible to maintain control of my car or be able to see other vehicles on the road.
I've documented these conditions with photos which I can provide if needed. Sometimes and in some places any speed over 5mp was not possible. Several times oncoming vehicles were hidden
in the dust and without being able to see the edges and shoulders of the road it was hard to gauge where the road center and each side was.
Also in the absence of a traffic counting device by public works I completed a traffic count. During the months of July, August and September, 2022 I tallied how many other vehicles
I saw on the road during my 3 minute drive time from the junction of Fawn Meadows down to West Valley Road. Rarely did I see no other vehicles, less than 1 time our ot 10.
6 times out of 10 I saw 1-2 other vehicles. And 3 times out of 10 I saw more than 2 in addition to my own vehicle. I didn't count pedestrians or bicycles but they were definitely there
also until the dust got so bad that they understandably stopped being on the road. The math adds up to an estimate of 20 to 60 vehicles per hour average during those months.
The demographic of the Van Trojen neighborhood has changed a lot in the past few years and I see signs of that change accelerating. Now there are many younger families with children
in school and jobs and more involvement in the greater area creating a need for more daily trips up and down our road. Some days I have made 3-4 round trips on Van Trojen.
Several of my neighbors told stories of how their vehicle lost traction on the severe washboards and slid sideways near corners with limited visibility. 3 times in the past 2 years I've
taken my car to the repair shop because my car has been unable to maintain highway speeds between my home and nearby cities. What seemed like it might have been a tire balance or front
end alignment vibration turned out to be a severe mud build up on the inside of my wheel rims. Mud from the inadequately maintained Van Trojen Road. Right now my car has a plugged water
drain hose from the roof skylight. Plugged with mud packed in the underbody. What might seem like a minor inconvenience to me is in reality a huge impact to the combined car maintenance
effect to all of the many local vehicles.
As Monte outlined in his letter dated August 19 in response to my letter of the same date with my questions and concerns about Van Trojen road conditions he told of the budget restraints
and many other reasons why our road has not been "upgraded". I disagree with that reasoning. It is not an upgrade our road needs, it is keeping up with the maintenance that is required
to ensure we have a safe and sustainable road. If the county doesn't have the money or the time to chip seal this road then they need to at least be here on a more regular routine and
fix the dust problems, washboards, potholes and mud that my neighbors and myself have been enduring daily for years.
The vague and unsure possible solution 2 or 3 years in the future of fixing our road is not an adequate or appropriate response.
Van Trojen road is overdue now for fixing. The traffic will continue to increase and the road conditions will continue to degrade. I have concerns, as do many of my neighbors, that there
will be an accident caused by the unsafe conditions.
It would be unfortunate if that happens before the commissioners and the others responsible for the road maintenance hear and take seriously our concerns.
Norman E Coyer
295 Fawn Meadows
P O Box 478, Chimacum WA 98325
www.normcoyer.com <http://www.normcoyer.com> necoyer@gmail.com <mailto:necoyer@gmail.com>
C 541-968-7115