Many, many residents have been placing calls to the Township regarding potholes found especially along Orchard Lake Road. If you want to report a pothole, need information about a road project or have a traffic signal concern, please call the Department of Citizen Services of the Road Commission of Oakland County at: 248-858-4804. Public roads in West Bloomfield Township are maintained by the County. Patching of potholes will continue until the asphalt plants open inthe spring. When the asphalt plants open, better repairs will be done to Orchard Lake Road which are expected to last until the road can be replaced. Orchard Lake Road will be replaced with a six lane boulevard, planned to begin in late 2009, depending on right of way acquisition and funding being in place.

   HOW TO REPORT POTHOLE DAMAGE TO A VEHICLE IN OAKLAND COUNTY

If a vehicle encounters damage from either a pothole or other road hazard and you wish to file for reimbursement you can follow the steps below to contact the Oakland County Road Commission, Department of Citizen services.

1.) Report the incident via telephone , 877-858-4804, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. through 4:15 p.m..  After hours, 248-858-4895.

2.) The call taker will ask a series of questions, such as when and where the damage occurred, taking no more than a few minutes.  At this time a report number will be issued.

3.) Once receiving your report number, a letter stating why and how the pothole or other road hazard caused damage to the vehicle should be written, and a receipt of payment for the fixed damage or estimate for the damages must be sumbitted to the Oakland County Road Commission Risk Management Department.

The letter, estimate/receipt, and report number can all be sent to:

Oakland County Road Commission

Attn: Risk Management

31001 Lahser Road

Beverly Hills, Michigan  48025

The process may take up to for weeks before the Risk Managament Department makes a decision on whether or not to pay/reimburse for damages.

NO POLICE REPORT IS NECESSARY.

FACTS ON NORTHWESTERN CONNECTOR PROJECT

• The Township Board unanimously approved the Northwestern Connector project, including 9 roundabouts and a 6 lane boulevard on Orchard Lake Road, on May 6,2002.  Voting for: Adelberg, Brickner, Flaisher, Hammond, Law, Kaplan, Law, Macon. Against: None.
• The amount approved for the project at that meeting was $40 million.  The Township's total share is $2.1 million. By using tri-party funds, the actual Township funds to be expended are $700,000.  This equates to 1.75% of the cost.  Any additional costs for right of way acquisition or other costs are in that same propotion. The Township is not liable for one third of any incremental cost.
• The ruling in the case of LaSalle Bank vs. West Bloomfield Zoning Board of Appeals pertained to the placement of a sign at a bank and did not rule on the merits of the Northwestern Connector project or the roundabouts.
• Numerous public hearings were advertised, and held at Orchard Lake Middle School, Parks and Recreation, Planning Commission meetings and other venues.  These date back to at least 1996.  The public and businesses had numerous opportunities to give input at these meetings.
• The majority of funding comes from MDOT, and is the result of litigation between the State and County which dates back to MDOT not extending Nothwestern Highway completely through the Township, but leaving it ending at Orchard Lake Road.  Three million dollars of additional state funding, which was promised by a former state representative, and was part of the $40 million budget, was never produced.
• Funds for maintenance, such as pothole patching and snow plowing, are separate from the above funds for the Northwestern Connector project.  Northwestern Connector Funds had to be approved by Federal, State and other agencies and cannnot be used to maintain Orchard Lake Road.