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Residents say town backhoe damaged rock wall on Main Street; board to verify property pins
Summary
Residents Chris and Lisa Cowan told the Silver Plume Board of Trustees that a town backhoe damaged about 50 feet of rock wall at 320 Main Street on June 22; the board asked the Cowans to mark property pins and will review the site at the next meeting.
Chris and Lisa Cowan presented photos and a survey to the Silver Plume Board of Trustees on July 8, saying a town backhoe damaged a rock wall on their property at 320 Main Street on June 22. Their presentation was titled "SW corner of Garland and Main St., Rockwall and landscaping damage from town backhoe on Saturday June 22nd between 1-4pm," and included a June 2021 survey that the Cowans said shows property pins and the location of the wall inside their lot.
The Cowans said the backhoe scooped up the rock wall and pushed a pile about 50 feet in length toward the corner of the road; they told the board many of the stones are too large to be moved by hand and will require machinery to restore. They said the landscaping and wall had been extended over time to protect their children and slow traffic at a corner where vehicles travel quickly.
Mayor Lee Berenato and board members acknowledged the Cowans' safety concerns while also stressing the town's obligation to keep streets accessible and clear. Randall McDonald suggested a permanent marker—"a massive rock"—to better define the corner; Mark Basham noted the current wall forms a sharper 90-degree turn whereas historically the intersection had a radius that was safer for travel. Berenato said the town can obtain a quote to clear and widen the opposite side of the road, but that the location needs to be determined soon.
The board asked the Cowans to spray-paint the property pins and, if necessary, hire a surveyor to replace pins so board members could inspect the lines in person before the next meeting. The board did not take formal enforcement action at the July 8 meeting; instead it set a follow-up site review and said it would discuss options, including relocating willows or adjusting the road edge, at a future session.
Next steps: the Cowans will mark property pins for a site visit and the board will review the marked lines at the next meeting to determine corrective action.
