Matthews: Thanks to Dover Councilman Lewis, city for help with neighborhood cleanup

I would just like to take a moment to offer my sincere thanks to Dover City Councilman Brian Lewis, city manager Dave Hugg and the city staff who were involved in addressing the many hazardous issues in the Stoney Creek development, where I reside. Many of the residents have been waiting several years to get safety matters in the community tackled, but our complaints fell on deaf ears by previous leadership.

Some of the major issues involved dead trees, illegal dumping, poisonous vegetation, abandoned vehicles and poor lighting due to burned-out streetlights.

As many know, dead trees can be a significant risk to both people and property. They can easily fall or have branches break off, which can cause damage to our homes or injure someone who may be just walking by the tree or children playing within the area. Three years ago, we witnessed firsthand what happens when a large tree falls. There was no high wind at the time a huge tree with visible signs of decay fell across the road between my home and our neighbor’s. It took several hours to clear the road, and it just missed our parked vehicles.

Another issue in our development is illegal dumping. Unfortunately, many folks find it all right to just throw their garbage and other items, like tires, medical waste and unwanted furniture, on the side of the access road in the development, on other property or in the retention pond.

Not too long after Councilman Lewis was elected to represent our district, some of my neighbors and I contacted him and requested his assistance in getting the ongoing problems looked into.

Not too long afterward, Mr. Lewis had Dover city manager Hugg and city department heads out to see the issues for themselves. Mr. Lewis and city staff coordinated getting some of the dead trees cut down, which were the responsibility of a neighboring development, and city staff replaced the dead lightbulbs in the street lamps, posted “No Dumping” signs and removed some of the illegally dumped debris.

We have waited for several years, but because of Councilman Lewis and the work from city staff, our development has become a better place to live.

Valarie Matthews

Dover

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