Hi Fred.
I have never read Mr. Garland's e-mails for they are addressed to Irania.
I have never liked to engage in e-mail discussions either. I believe is more productive to speak in person.
I will be e-mailing you only on this occasion... I promise!
I believe Spur Ranch Road's "hard like a rock" project is NEVER going to work.
David Bernal and I have taken a few trips and have studied, and discussed, the situation carefully from the beginning of the project. He also agrees with the above assessment.
This is what we feel has happened this last few days (aside from all other previous mud-after-the-rain occurrences):
The gravel placed on the surface a few weeks ago was compacted by vehicle traffic into the NON-BONDING clay/dirt to a depth of about 2"+ -. In the past few days, a construction worker, using a Bob Cat with roller - and trying to gather some of the gravel - HAS LIFTED CHUNKS of packed gravel from the surface. These action has created craters in many, many areas. I am sure you have seen them.
1.- What do we believe this means?
The liquid "chemicals" never did bond clay and dirt as it was promised!
2.- When are we really going to find out?:
Whenever we get a 4" snow storm or one good heavy rain!
3.- How do we figure that?:
This past week end, wherever there was no gravel... there was a lot of MUD!
(I've cleaned mud off my garage floor 4 times already since the "second" clay try. This muck does not stick on the road but has been pretty hard on my back when cleaning the floors)
Today, I saw the same man with the Bob Cat @ about 11 AM picking up gravel from the ditch and spreading it on the non-graveled area closer to the track. It is evident that the contractor is trying to generate traction, even though it is obvious that the gravel patches were removed when the surface was brushed.
This weekend Irania and I saw tire tracks that appear to have been created by cars that had slipped on the muddy surface. There was also mud on the railroad tracks and Hwy 285 asphalt leading off Spur Ranch Road.
There is going to be a TCHA meeting @ 5:30 PM, on the 19th of the month.
Irania and I, and a few TC residents I have spoken to are planning to attend - God willing!
If allowed by the Board, I am going to try to express my displeasure for the proposed - voluntary for now - project by SRRC to collect $$$ and periodically fix SR Road all the way to Avenida Compadres. Most TC residents have no use for that stretch of road and I feel that $$$ collected by TCHA should be used to repair OUR INSIDE STREETS. Residents of the area covered by SR Road to Compadres have used the road for many years without bothering to help with it's maintenance. I am a witness for I have been a resident for 10 years.
As you well know, TCHA always covered those expenses.
Sorry for the lengthy e-mail. I would much rather speak on the telephone.
You may wish to attend the meeting on the 19th.
Best to you and your family.
Good Day!
Roberto
In a message dated 3/12/2012 5:23:07 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, fredwrichardson@gmail.com writes:
Jim,
When is this road actually going to cure? The story has changed from two weeks to two months and now another two months. Also how are we to vote on a budget when we do not even know if we have a road that is correct?
Fred
From: Jim Garland [mailto:4cx250b@muohio.edu]
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:03 PM
To: srra1.lamynm@blogger.com
Subject: Spur Ranch Road Update - 03_11_2012
Dear Neighbors,
I'm sure you've been puzzled by some of the road work the past two weeks (basecourse being scooped off the road surface into the ditch, then placed back on the road, lots of dust, and an odd delamination of parts of the road surface caused by the road grader), and you probably also were alarmed by the slippery conditions this morning on part of the road near the RR tracks, following yesterday's slight snow.
My fellow SRRA director, Al Webster, and I had a lengthy conversation today with RoadPacker distributor Bob Sherwin to clarify what's been happening and what the course of action will be. According to Mr. Sherwin, the problem is that the temporary basecourse was removed too soon, before the road had a chance to dry out and cure adequately. The road base itself is extremely hard and durable; however, rain or snow creates a thin (1/4"-1/2") veneer of slimy mush on the uncured surface, and it is this which has caused the slipperiness we have all experienced.
Furthermore, during the past weeks, the pressure of road traffic against the extremely hard RoadPacker base has caused some of the basecourse gravel to pulverize. With the addition of moisture, this pulverized basecourse tuned into a cement-like goop on the road surface that was broken up by the grader, creating the unusual delaminations.
During the next two days, the contractor will smooth out the entire road (again!) and spread basecourse back onto the road surface (from Rte 285 to the RR tracks), in order to prevent unsafe slippery conditions during the next couple of months. This will be a very thin coating, in order to minimize the slight washboarding that occurred with the thicker basecourse. By late April or May, the water resistance of the road surface will be reevaluated, in order to determine if the basecourse can be removed for good. I'll keep you posted if there are new developments.
Finally, let me remind you that the second annual SRRA community meeting will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, March 31 at my house (102 Spur Ranch Road). Members will be asked to vote on the budget distributed earlier, and after the meeting there will be a potluck BBQ, to which everybody is invited. Hope you can make it!
Regards,
Jim
