MOUNT VERNON — Don and Barb Smith have lived in their Columbus Road home for 20 years. They raised three children here, adopted four more, and are providing a foster home for another four.
A dispute with the Knox County Engineer’s Office over snowplowing in front of the Smiths’ home has the Smiths upset, and wondering how they can continue to keep repairing the damage to their home caused by snow and ice pushed from the road by plows.
“They go down through here like they’re on the Interstate,” Barb Smith said of the snowplow drivers who pass by her home.
According to the Smiths, the numerous holes in the siding of their home on the side which faces the street have been made by chunks of ice, which they said can fly as high as the second story when trucks push the snow above a low speed.
“In town right here, there’s no reason to plow going through at 30 or 40 mph,” Don Smith said.
The Smiths’ insurance company agreed the damage to the home was extensive enough to require re-siding the entire house. But the Smiths said they have asked the contractor to wait to start the job until a resolution is reached with the county as to how to prevent future damage.
Don said that after the road was widened to three lanes several years ago, eliminating his yard and moving the roadway to within a few feet of his house, the plows have repeatedly thrown ice and snow onto the windows and siding of the front of the house.
“I want them to slow down,” said Barb. “And I want them to put some kind of wall up here to protect my house.”
Barb said she has spoken with Knox County Engineer Jim Henry several times about the situation, and that Henry offered to put a plastic snow fence in front of the house.
Don and Barb said they declined this offer because they felt the orange plastic fence in front of their newly remodeled home would detract from its value.
“I want it to complement the house, not take away from the value,” Barb said. “I don’t want a hokey plastic fence out there.”
Don, who is on disability due to heart problems, is physically unable to construct a wall in front of the house.
After declining the offer of the plastic snow fence, Barb said she received a letter from Henry advising the county would no longer plow in front of her home.
“I am writing to explain the decision not to install fence in front of your property to prevent snow from being inadvertently pushed up against the siding,” the letter from Henry reads. “The solution, as you will see, is a proactive approach.
“I have instructed our drivers who are assigned to this route not to drop their plows along your property ...” the letter continues.
The letter also states all county drivers have been instructed not to drop their plows in front of the residence. Henry stated he would copy the letter to the Ohio Department of Transportation garage, and the Clinton Township clerk so their drivers would also not plow the route.
The Smiths said not plowing the road is not an acceptable solution. They point out that Columbia School is across the street, with children crossing each morning and afternoon, and buses are turning in and out of the school.
“I faxed the letter over to the school so they know they’re not going to plow now,” Barb said.
Because three of her children sleep in rooms in the front of the house, Barb said vehicles not being able to stop on the snow and potentially hitting the front of her house deeply concerns her.
“If they’re not going to plow out here now, my biggest fear is that I’m going to wake up with a car or a semi in my house on top of my kids,” she said.
According to Assistant Knox County Engineer Larry Bechtel, Henry is out of the office this week due to a death in the family. Bechtel, who said he knew about the letter, said the county does continue to plow in front of the home.
“We have one driver who plows along Columbus Road, and he has been instructed to go very slow past that house,” Bechtel said. “There’s really no solution to the problem. There’s been a problem with snow that has been pushed against that house, but we’re not sure who’s doing it.”
Bechtel said the county office believes drivers from another agency caused the damage, but added “we can’t prove that.” He said the Smiths have been asked to try to identify a truck or truck number of any trucks that speed past.
Clinton Township plow driver Charlie Hobbs said the township does not drive that route.
“We don’t plow on Columbus Road — ever,” he said. “We plow all the side streets.”
ODOT District Five Spokesman Kate Stickle said ODOT crews do not plow on that portion of Columbus Road, either.
“That road is not maintained by ODOT,” Stickle said, adding that ODOT plows would only be used on the road during a state of emergency.
The Smiths said they would like the county engineer to reconsider their request to build a wall or fence to protect their property from the plows, and would like to see the plows continue to remove salt, but at a reduced speed.
