Road Committee:
Jim Greiner - Chairman Contact at lsa.recordingsecretary@lake-shannon.com or (810) 360-5967
Bob and Ginny Donald (989) 708-7124
Janice Stuckey (810) 577-8496
Mike Koivisto (810) 922-5735
Sean Spinneweber (810) 513-1901
Jason Ladd (810) 623-2272 (Drains)
Updated: March 2024
Mission Maintain safe roads, clear drains, and prevent maintenance issues. Bring issues to the attention of the Livingston County Road Commission (LCRC) and obtain their help to correct them. Maximize the lifetime of road pavement, keep the roads in good condition, and help them to look as good as possible.
Monitor road maintenance issues and develop a 5-year plan for best maintenance, with consideration for the county's responsibilities. Keep an inventory of ongoing road problems, review easement issues, and monitor sewer drains. Maintain a good relationship with the LCRC to keep them aware of our road needs. Work with their appropriate members to report issues, hazards, and keep them cognizant of their responsibilities.
History
In 1987 the dirt roads were paved via a 10-year assessment of LSA members and under supervision of the LCRC. The original pavement lasted for 31 years. When the road condition deteriorated in 2017, the Association voted to improve them. In 2018, a repaving of the roads was completed under the supervision of the LCRC. The LSA paid $1.6 million in a 10-year special assessment, and the roads were engineered with a 20-year life expectancy.
There are also a number of other access roads that feed traffic to the lake, such as Linden Road, McGuire Road, the western and eastern portions of Dean Road, and O’Connell Road. While we are not responsible for these roads, we monitor them for the good use of lake residents and bring problems to the attention of the Road Commission.
There are a number of private drives and roads around the lake which are the responsibility of the homeowners who reside on them. The Road Committee will assist with issues, if needed, especially as the issues affect LSA roads.
Plan
Encourage all residents to monitor road/drain issues, especially near their homes, and report problems to the Committee for resolution as quickly as possible. Develop and manage a plan for road maintenance.
The Committee is currently focusing on the quality of the roads and has prepared a maintenance plan. The roads have been judged as in very good condition by road professionals. There are rust spots on the surface of the entire road system that are of uncertain maintenance concern. The LCRC has performed an extensive crack sealing project in the summer of 2023 and spring of 2024. You will see very few evident cracks that haven’t been sealed, including residential driveway entrances and street curbs. We are indebted to the LCRC for providing this service at no cost to the LSA community.
The committee engaged with a road consultant to develop a maintenance plan that complements the county's plans. You may review the consultant’s report with the accompanying attachment. It recommends bi-annual crack maintenance in order to maximize the pavement lifetime. After the work in 2023-24, the next crack sealing is anticipated during the summer of 2026, with severe issues (such as potholes) fixed as they become evident.
The current pavement from the 2018 paving has a projected 20-year life span, of which there are 14 years remaining. We hope to extend the life span and defer the next repaving as long as reasonably possible. Representatives of the LCRC state that they will complete a road maintenance and crack sealing project in the future at their cost; this will be the last county-paid project of its kind during the 20-year lifetime of our roads. As further preventive maintenance is required, besides filling potholes, it will be at our discretion and from our budget.
The intersection at Ledgewood Dr and Faussett Rd was thought to be a safety issue as a partially blind intersection; upon the committee's request, the county severely cut back bushes and trees along Faussett to lessen the problem in 2023. In 2022, the committee brought the dangerous curves at the dam area to the attention of the LCRC, and new signage was placed to advise motorists. The Committee seeks input from residents about other safety issues so they can be resolved quickly. We are especially concerned about winter safety issues.
The Committee also encourages residents to maintain their easement areas and road shoulders near them that don't have nearby residences. Do not fill your front yard easement ditch as it allows water to drain from the roads and prevents pavement erosion.
We can expect periodic maintenance from the LCRC, but certainly not frequent enough to keep the area looking good. This includes trash removal, weed/grass mowing, drain cleaning, downed tree removal, clearing forest debris and dirt along curbs, and miscellaneous eyesores! It is recommended that large mailboxes not be erected since they are potential traffic safety hazards.
Future
All road drains found around the lake empty into the lake! This includes front yard catch basins. So, they have become an attention focus due to the costly need to dredge the lake occasionally and remove unwanted silt that has flowed via the drains. The Road Committee has a special task force to monitor and clean the drains, at partial expense of the LSA as well as the LCRC. Please make sure that contractors do not use the drains as they clean their equipment. Our goal is to minimize the future need for costly dredging. Easement drains that run under your driveway or on your property (but do not drain into the lake) are your responsibility.
If you find a severe road problem that needs immediate attention, please do not hesitate to call the Road Commission directly at 517-546-4250. You can also report a complaint on their website (livingstonroads.org). Otherwise, it is best to contact a Committee member (Jim Greiner, chairman) since we have built relationships with various Road Commission employees in order to gain attention for lake road issues.
We certainly thank many residents for the wonderful cooperation provided each year to keep the road shoulders in good repair! Two members planted daffodil bulbs along the length of Ledgewood Drive to beautify the area each spring!
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