WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Waterford Township increased its contribution to help residents pay for street repaving. The change occurred last week.
The township will now cover 25% of the repaving costs. That's up from 10%, and the contribution is through the continued use of federal ARPA funds.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
Some large potholes have earned such a reputation in Eric Akkashian's neighborhood that residents have actually given them nicknames.
Akkashian and his son tried to make the best of a bumpy situation. But for most in his Waterford Township neighborhood, the craters are a constant headache.
“We’re just riding through all the potholes. There’s some puddles. They do make great puddles," he said. “My son and I, we have some names for 'em. We’ve got the 'quadruplets' over there and the 'giga-hole' over here. And that’s a nice big puddle over there.”
The puddles might be fun on a bike, but for vehicles, they are a financial drain. Akkashian said the road has already taken a bite out of his wallet.
“Messed up my car, so that was $500 a pop. Yeah, it’s wear and tear on the cars,” he said.
Heather Dunn just learned that lesson the hard way. Her vehicle is currently in the shop after a run-in with a water-covered crater.
“So, my tire clipped it, and now it’s in the shop. I had to get it towed," she explained. “Alternator's broke.”
It's a repair bill that is anything but cheap.
“About $3,000. I had to make a claim, and it’s considered collision. Hitting a pothole’s considered collision," Dunn said.
Watch Darren Cunningham's January report when the township was considering a proposal for the funding:
In Waterford, subdivision streets are a "pay-to-play" system. To get one repaved, a majority of neighbors on the street must agree to a special assessment district. That often costs homeowners tens of thousands of dollars.
“Our neighborhood always argues over fixing the roads. But it’s quite expensive because it’s, like you said, a special assessment. So, it becomes like $20,000 investment,” Akkashian said. “So, nobody can afford it."
In January, 7 News Detroit spoke with Township Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta about a plan to lower that barrier. Last week, township officials voted to increase the contribution to repaving projects.
In response, Akkashian said, “that would probably help. I don’t know if it would help enough for some people because it’s still probably a pretty big chunk of change.”
