Residents decry confusing notices and safety risks as Scott Township prepares stormwater project

Dozens of Scott Township residents pressed supervisors on June 16 for clearer notice and safety protections as work on the North Rim stormwater and sanitary sewer project moves toward construction.

At a public comment period focused on the project, Anna Nienko of 1149 Grouse Drive said she received a registered letter that "the successful completion of this project will require the acquisition of certain properties," and that the timing and wording of mailings had terrified homeowners. "This community is not being made better. It's quite honestly scaring the crap out of us," she told the board.

The township said the mailing to the small set of homeowners was an offer to negotiate purchase, not a condemnation notice. Chair (meeting moderator) and other board members told residents the letter was an outreach step and apologized for causing alarm. The board noted that if a homeowner refuses to sell, the project alignment could be altered to avoid that property.

Township engineer Kevin Brett told the meeting the contractor will mobilize in about two weeks and expects to begin construction around mid‑July. Brett said the contractor will videotape and document impacted properties, perform field reviews and locate utility laterals, and will post weekly schedule updates on the township website. "They will always maintain access — one lane, flaggers — when they are working in the street. Emergency vehicles will always have access," Brett said, adding the contractor must follow police‑reviewed traffic control plans and state safety regulations.

Engineers and staff said the work includes upsizing storm sewer and replacing an old sanitary line in the same trench because the sanitary pipe is cracked and root‑filled. Staff described the project as phased: phase 1 ends at Grouse Drive and later phases depend on additional grant funding. Marie, identified by staff as the engineer managing bids and grants, said the township has "three funding sources" for the project — two grants and a contribution from Saint Clair Hospital — and that one grant has a spend deadline the township discussed as September 30, which creates pressure to begin work this summer.

Residents raised several recurring concerns: that notices went to only a handful of homeowners while nearby households said they had not been notified; that single‑entry, dead‑end streets create safety risks for children, school buses and emergency vehicles; and that residents with large vehicles or scheduled home repairs need better coordination. Cynthia Westcott and other commenters described tight turning radii and driveway impacts, and asked whether police, flaggers and contractor coordination would prevent damage and ensure resident access.

Township staff said contractors will coordinate with residents for deliveries and accommodations, will plate trenches for emergency passage when necessary, and must close and reopen lanes according to approved traffic control plans. Residents pressed for plain‑language schedules and broader neighborhood mailings; staff agreed to post simplified one‑page updates online and to distribute consolidated written answers to questions posed at the resident meeting.

The board did not take a formal action on the stormwater project during the public comment period. The most recent procedural step recorded in the meeting was awarding construction‑related contracts and partial payments elsewhere on the agenda; staff said they will circulate the contractor's sequence and contact information to affected residents before major work begins.