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PLEASANT GROVE — By now, all that runoff from last spring is a distant memory — unless you live along one street in Pleasant Grove.
Smack dab in the middle of Grove Creek Drive is something resident Darrell Thornton is sick of seeing.
"They need to do something," Thornton said. "It's been kind of a nuisance, really."
"It" is a 40-inch black, plastic pipe many residents are tired of.
The pipe saved them during the spring runoff when water coming down Mount Timpanogos would have caused flooding down their road. But two seasons later, it's just in the way — and some are worried it's becoming dangerous.
Some motorists drive on the wrong side of the road because they don't want to go all the way up to the top of the street to turn around the pipe.
"We've learned to live with it. We all do what we have to, but it would be nice to have our street back." Darrell Thornton
"The kids have played. They went down the middle of it on their skateboards," Thornton said.
Residents say they understand the pipe was necessary last spring, but even on Pleasant Grove's website the city says, "As soon as it has been determined that potential high runoff flows have passed, the pipe will be disassembled, moved and the area will be re-opened to through traffic."
It's now November.
"We've learned to live with it. And we all do what we have to, but it would be nice to have our street back," Thornton said.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove city administrator Scott Darrington said he understands the pipe has been "in the way" for residents, but there are plans to bury it in that very spot for future runoff use. Moving it only to bring it back to bury it, he said, would cost the city roughly $25,000.
"We chose to leave it there for the time being; and again, we understand that it's creating a nuisance, but we figured it was better than spending that money," Darrington said.
He said work is scheduled to start next week on the pipe, and it's expected to last at least a month.
"They probably won't actually start burying the pipe until early December, but we want to get that pipe off the road as soon as we can," Darrington said.
Residents in the area say they're just happy something is finally being done.
"We hope that they will plan it and do it quickly so we'll have access to our streets again," Thronton said.
Email: acabrero@ksl.com
