Tired of excuses over Pike Street

Pike Street is back in the news again with another home that was destroyed by fire. The street in question is less than a half-mile long. One end intersects with a paved road. The other end is intermittently blocked by the residents who claim it crosses their land.

The reason I say “claim” is because the last time I checked the land in question had no certified survey on record with the borough. When a resident of Pike street asks about where the road should be they are told (as I have been many times) that they (the borough) don’t know.

Which brings me to the first question, how do they know anything is in the wrong place if it hasn’t (as they claim) been surveyed?

As for the question of the road crossing private land, then build a road where it belongs. The borough has done this in many subdivisions. Not to mention the new Trunk Road and the Seldon extension. If there is a structure in the way give the property owner the option of moving the structure or bull dozing it.

At the same time the property owner can purchase the land they are using, or how about this idea how about a land swap?

As for the rest of the road: if they don’t know where it is how can they say people have built homes in the easement? With the same line of thought how does anybody know the road is crossing private property? When the fact that one of the landowners in that area has no problem with threatening children with a gun (he threatened my two daughter a few years ago with a gun) the situation could get explosive. If you are confused at this point join the crowd.

There are several homes on Pike that are close to 3,000 feet from Bear Street, I pray that they never need emergency services as they are between a hill that fire trucks can’t get up when it is icy and a blocked road that prevents entry from the other end.

In my view, the borough assumed responsibility for the road when they allowed area to be sold illegally.

For years I asked when or if the road would be brought up to standards. Time and again I was told, “when spring arrives.” This is the longest winter I have ever seen it started in 1992.

About 10 years ago I spoke with a newly hired woman that handled the road construction (or at I least was told she did). She told me and my wife very bluntly no plans had ever been made nor are being made to fix the road. Two weeks later I tried to call her only to discover that she had been fired.

The borough seems to be saying this problem is too hard to fix. It wasn’t too hard to negotiate the new Trunk Road, which is far more complicated, involving many more residents.

As a resident of this borough you only have one right (if that is what you would like to call it) that is the right to pay taxes. The tax for those residents on Pike Street for road maintenance and 911 services is a breach of contract. The borough is not holding up their end of the deal for what is being paid for.

I tried to find an attorney when my home and business burned down, only to discover that the attorneys in this Valley don’t have what it takes to sue the borough.

I have lived on or owned property on Pike Street for more than 40 years. I have watched homes burn and people die on this road because the borough just can’t quiet manage to negotiate a solution. The day before Thanksgiving the lack of access claimed another life on Pike Street every person who has made excuses for the road not being fixed needs to go to the funeral and explain to the survivors why they just couldn’t manage to fix the road.

For those borough officials who are involved in making excuses for not fixing these roads I have just one question. How many have to die, how many homes have to burn down, before the problem with these roads is solved?

I don’t want more political excuses or rhetoric. Just a number. Would five more dead satisfy you? How about 10? Twenty? What is the number? How many homes have to burn down?

I would propose this as a solution: how about suspending all emergency services in the Valley until all the roads of this nature are fixed? Would it still be too hard? Or are you going to continue to hide behind your borough “it’s too hard” position?

Mike Blodgett lives in Wasilla.