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Residents urge DeSoto council to fully repair Ellison Road, citing safety and flooding
Summary
Multiple residents told the City Council that Ellison Road and nearby streets suffer chronic potholes, temporary patches, standing water and unsafe conditions for pedestrians, calling for full reconstruction rather than temporary fixes.
Multiple DeSoto residents urged the City Council on July 15 to place full repair or reconstruction of Ellison (spelled Ellison/Ellisonbee in public remarks) Road and nearby corridors on the next budget cycle, saying repeated pothole patching, standing water and the absence of sidewalks create daily safety risks.
The most detailed public comments came from Dr. Diana March, who said the road corridor serves at least 10 subdivisions and listed home counts for several neighborhoods, and from other residents who described damaged vehicles, dangerous driving, and elderly and schoolchildren forced to walk in traffic. “This is not just a road issue. It is a quality of life for our residents,” Dr. March said.
The speakers asked the council to prioritize Ellison Road the same way it has prioritized other corridors, to conduct a full assessment and to include the project in the upcoming budget. Several residents said potholes are being filled with temporary material that crumbles within days of rain, increasing the damage rather than repairing it.
“Parents driving their children to school are forced to swerve to avoid potholes,” Dr. March said. “That endangers not only them but oncoming traffic.” Billy Clayton described driving on the road as “almost impossible” from his driveway and said he sometimes drives on the wrong side of the street to avoid damage to his car. Residents requested full reconstruction, drainage work to prevent standing water, and traffic-calming measures such as rumble strips or speed humps.
Resident Victor Lankford and Sai Langford both described standing water that remains for days after rain and stretches of the corridor that are exceedingly narrow. Nicole Rafael asked the council to consider prioritizing pedestrian safety — sidewalks and speed mitigation — because of frequent fast driving on the corridor.
Speakers supplied neighborhood and house-count details for council consideration: Kinsdale Farm (217 homes), Trees Farm (102), Candle Meadow (493), Eagle Downs (321), Ellison Ranch (291), Ellison Park (44), Ellison Trace West (59), Parkerville Meadows (five phases), Coal Creek (66) and Churchill Estates (129).
Council members responded that the issue is known and that sidewalk and street improvements are a regular priority in the city’s HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) process, which limits uses to low- and moderate-income census tracts or qualifying individuals. Officials said staff can adjust the CDBG allocations next year to target infrastructure if a qualifying area can be identified.
No formal votes were taken on Ellison Road at the July 15 meeting. The city manager and staff indicated they would consider the requests during budget planning and assessment work prior to making construction or rehabilitation recommendations.
