Cottonwood Shores council hears road complaint
COTTONWOOD SHORES — A couple’s repeated complaint that a badly damaged road forces them to take a detour to their home through government land has caught the attention of the City Council. “If we had a tank, I could get across it,” resident John Parker said, referring to Dogwood Drive.
He and Billie Parker can’t get a car or truck to their house from that street, which needs significant repairs, they said.
“Dogwood Drive is the right name for it,” quipped John Parker, who added they have to go through Lower Colorado River Authority property to get home.
City officials at the Thursday night meeting agreed something needs to be done.
“As a city, we are required to provide access,” Councilwoman Martha Logan said.
Mayor Pro-tem Bill Plumley added: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Fir (Lane). It doesn’t matter if it’s Dogwood. They’re all city streets, and they need to be made passable.”
Mayor Bentley Martin said current road projects are scheduled through midsummer, but after that repairs to Dogwood are possible.
The council agreed to revisit the issue during a March 18 meeting.
This was the fourth time the Parkers complained to the city, and Martin apologized.
“I’m sorry you’ve had to come back and back and back,” he said.
In the meantime, the Parkers have been getting home by Ridgeview Road, but that route takes them through an LCRA-owned area where the authority is building a security fence. If it’s extended, it will cut off access to the Parker residence, the couple said.
Crews have indicated to him that the fence will eventually be completed, John Parker said.
“Basically, our property is condemned,” Parker said. “We can’t access it if they build that fence.”
In case of an emergency, police, fire and EMS would be unable to get to the residence via Dogwood Drive and at night, they couldn’t even see the residence, he added.
“We can easily become a victim of crime,” Parker said.
In other action, the council approved a plan and specifications presented by architect Marley Porter for the P Squared Skate and Bike Park. The skate and bike park is one of nine projects the city hopes to complete thanks to state and local grants.
Porter, who is on the Parks and Recreation Committee, said the park would be split into two portions — one for skating and one for bike riding. The bike portion would include a track that features jumps and a hairpin turn, along with rest areas for bikers to take a break and bleachers for spectators.
The skate portion would be separate from the bike portion, and it would feature a half-pipe, grinding wall and bleachers.
The park also would have lights.
Also, the council approved a plan and specifications for a Town Trail linking all the city’s parks together.
Before the meeting ended the council also:
- Tabled an action on approving plans and specifications for a nature preserve
- Approved a proposal for an interlocal agreement between the city and the Cottonwood Shores Area Volunteer Fire Department to apply for a Federal Communication Commission license to put a repeater and antennae on the city’s water tower.