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Resident tells council road work has left corner of house sinking; DPW to investigate and report back
Summary
A longtime Dearborn resident told the council that recent road work at Kenilworth and Colson has caused potholes and vibrations that he says are damaging his home; Public Works director Tim Hawkins said staff will determine whether the cut was for a water or sewer repair and will report timing for a permanent fix.
A Dearborn homeowner asked the City Council on Tuesday to intervene after what he described as repeated road cuts and temporary repairs at the corner of Kenilworth and Colson that, he said, have left his house shaking and a corner of the foundation sinking.
"They broke down the concrete, they dug up, they did whatever they did, and they repaved it. Okay. It's falling apart," said resident Daniel Dometer, who gave his address as 5103 Kenilworth and said he has owned property in Dearborn for 28 years. He told the council the patched cuts now produce potholes and heavy-vehicle traffic shakes his home; he said prior flooding damaged mechanical systems that he repaired out of pocket and that the latest shaking threatens additional structural damage.
Council President Cerini asked Department of Public Works Director Tim Hawkins to come forward. Hawkins said staff would determine whether the road cut was related to a sewer or water-service repair and would report back with a schedule for permanent concrete replacement tied to the recently approved pavement/repair contract.
"There are two reasons we would cut the road. It's either a sewer repair or a water-service repair," Hawkins said, adding that temporary patching is standard practice through the winter and that the city's contractor will perform permanent concrete restoration once the approved contract work proceeds in spring. Hawkins told the resident the patching was a temporary measure and that the contractor appointed under the city-approved pavement repair contract would replace the cuts once conditions allow.
The resident asked what the city would do about damage to his house. Council members and Hawkins told him that claims for property damage must follow a separate legal process and that the council cannot authorize direct repairs without an objective evaluation from the city's legal department.
Council members asked staff to check the city's call log and to notify the resident with the specific reason for the excavation and an estimated timetable for permanent restoration. Hawkins and Clerk staff acknowledged they had the resident's contact information and agreed to follow up.
