I emailed my letter to the board but I wanted others to be able to view it as well.
May 14, 2021
To the Panoramic Road District Board:
My husband and I object to the board to move forward with otta seal. There are several reasons why we object and you will find them listed below.
The first reason we object to the otta seal project is that we should not be forced to spend OUR money in places in which we wish not too. We have other expenses and goals that we wish to allocate our monies. Paying $5,600 or more for roads is not our desire. In our opinion if we are going to do such a major road project it should be assessed and funded differently.
Another opposition we have is that there are residences in Panoramic that have several people living at their residence that are drivers, along with having several horse trailers, utility trailers, etc., causing the roads to wear faster. Why should a resident with only one driver pay the same of someone that has 3 horse trailers, 4 driving residences, etc.? At our residence we have three drivers, so we should pay more than someone that has only one driver, and then you have places where there are how many horse trailers and equipment trucks, they should pay more because they are using our roads more and causing more wear and tear to the road, but that is just my opinion.
Another reason we object to the otta seal is because we like the country road feeling. My husband and his family have lived in Panoramic for about 50 years, we love the dirt road. On the Panoramic forum frequently asked questions, it states, “An important factor many people don’t acknowledge is the health impacts of the dust created when we drive on our roads. It is unhealthy to regularly breathe that fine, red mist that rises every time a car passes. Respiratory diseases are not just exacerbated, but are often caused by long-term exposure to dust. This also affects people with cardiac issues as oxygen supply is reduced to the heart.” I feel that statements like this on a website should be cited and only be allowed from an actual expertise. Perhaps there are studies and evidence to back the statement, but like I said it should be cited and only come from an expertise on the matter. I appreciate that a vote was done, however, did this statement sway someone’s vote? Like I stated, my husband and his family have lived on the gravel road for 50 years, not one of them have developed respiratory problems from the dust. If you have a condition that does not do well in dusty conditions, why would you purchase a house on a gravel road? Also, Central Oregon is just dusty in general.
On the Panoramic Forums “FAQ”, it states, “Most people complain about the poor surface our roads frequently have. They not only complain about the “bumpiness” of the roads, but note that the rough surface causes damage to their vehicles and aggravates physical conditions. Local mechanics have specifically mentioned that damage to the suspension of vehicles is caused by these rough conditions. The fine dust we have also can infiltrate a vehicle’s engine and cause significant damage over time. The cost of these repairs represents a “hidden” cost of our roads.” Again, where are the sources? Did this sway votes? My husband has been an automotive mechanic for over 30 years, never have we seen any of our vehicles have suspension problems because of the gravel road. If there are suspension problems due to the roads it is due to improperly maintaining them and driving faster than you should be. We have also had vehicles last over 250,000 miles, so please tell me how the dust causes significant damage to vehicle’s engines. Where are the sources and citations?
We are also concerned on what will happen during the winter months. Our roads are already neglected when there is a fair amount of snow. How will a paved surface effect our roads when they aren’t getting plowed? Having gravel allows for traction during icy, slushy roads. During the road meeting on Tuesday, May 11th, my concern of the icy conditions was responded with, “we don’t know”. Shouldn’t that be something to ask an expert about? Are we putting more money aside for icy conditions for laying gravel on certain areas of the roads?
Another reason we object is we are in a global pandemic. There are many families struggling due to the pandemic. Why are we causing more of a financial burden during a global pandemic?
We also oppose to the otta seal because it seems as though the board was determined to have our roads otta sealed no matter what the Panoramic community felt. In ORS 223.389 it states, “The governing body shall consider the objections and grounds and may adopt, correct, modify or revise the estimated assessments.”, after the objections and acceptances at lasts nights road meeting the board only took a minute then agreed to move forward with the project. We were truly disappointed that they did not take more time to think about the residences concerns before deciding to move forward. How could the board have truly listened to all oppositions and acceptances when their decision was made within a minute of hearing everyone? That tells us that they truly did not listen nor care about our concerns in opposing the project.
We are also disappointed that some residences of Panoramic are stating their opinion and trying to persuade residents to be in favor of the road project when they just moved into the neighborhood and then you see their house is up for sale. It appears this is all for personal gain. Most residences who oppose the road project have been long term residents and plan on being long term residents.
We ask the board to rethink their decision. We now have long term community members/residents who may have to move because of this project. We should be working together as a community, not trying to drive out members of our community and that’s exactly what this project is doing. It’s not like the votes were overwhelmingly in favor of the project. The results were a little over half agreed. Did residents vote in favor because they were worried they would develop a respiratory disease or their vehicle’s engine was at risk from the dust as stated on the website that the board controls?
Sincerely,
Jeremy and Tonya Rollins