Documents:
November 18, 2002
Dear Neighbor:
As snow dusts the evergreens, we’re reminded of one of the best reasons to live on Floyd Hill. We’re also reminded of all the important outdoor work that each season brings. Since one of our main concerns on the hill has always been proper road maintenance, we formed a volunteer committee of Floyd Hill Area Property Owners Association (FHAPOA) members to work with the Clear Creek County Road and Bridge Division. In December, we’ll present them with a prioritized list of requested improvements for every road on Floyd Hill.
As you know, a key part of road health is maintaining culverts and ditches for proper drainage. Clogged culverts can lead to erosion on both dirt and paved roads. In fact, we have noticed on some of our paved roads some undermined edges that we fear could someday cave in under a car’s weight, leading to tragedy. What you may not know is that responsibility for maintenance of driveway culverts falls to individual property owners. Since your driveway appears to have a culvert running under it, it is your responsibility to maintain proper drainage through the culvert.
Now, we all know how these maintenance chores can sneak up on you, despite best intentions, so we have a list of solutions to match your situation. Pick one:
I have a culvert?! Some of the ditches flanking driveways are so clogged, we can’t tell if a culvert exists. You may need to dig down a bit to check it out, your culvert may be completely buried.
What do you mean the county won’t clean my culvert? It’s part of the road! The county is not beholden to maintain any driveway culvert, even if you didn’t install it yourself. Additionally, you should not even consider paving your driveway until your culvert is cleared. It would be a shame to have to dig up a freshly paved driveway to replace a damaged or severely blocked culvert, which the county could do in certain situations (see below).
I don’t have the time. Fortunately, culvert maintenance is relatively quick and easy, but if you’re just too busy, you can always hire someone to do it for you (e.g., a friend…a nephew…a teenager saving for college—think cheap labor!).
I can’t afford to hire help/I have health problems. We are currently seeking a volunteer corps to help seniors on fixed incomes or people who cannot do the labor due to poor health. If you need help, please contact Sandra Sajbel at 303-567-1111 and we will try to arrange help for you.
Bah humbug! I just don’t care. While we all admire the rugged individualist, the fact is that when you live on a slope, your actions affect everyone downhill from you. Many innocent properties and public roads are being seriously eroded by a neighbor’s neglect. Furthermore, if the county identifies an emergency situation—such as flooding to a neighbor’s property or massive damage to a road—the county may need to rip a drainage trough across the bottom of your driveway, leaving you with the cost of repairing it. So please do the community-minded thing and pick up that shovel!
To clear out your culvert, use a shovel or hoe to clear debris from both the ingress and egress ends and as far into the culvert as you can reach. Move all debris away from the culvert and drainage ditch so it won’t fill back in again. You should clear your culverts at least every spring and every fall, and more often in unusually wet seasons.
Remember, even a minor culvert problem can become quite nasty with the spring rains. If you have any questions, contact us at roadcommittee@floydhill.org or call FHAPOA President Harry Dale at 303-670-0085. Thank you so much for your cooperation!
Your FHAPOA Volunteer Road Committee