Business owner upset by damage

Rudzik's project supervisor said only one business owner has complained.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Jackie Vallies is angry that installation of sewers along Pa. Route 208 here has damaged the parking lot of her ice cream stand and cut into business during her busiest season.
Vallies has been at odds with Rudzik Excavating Co. of Struthers, which is installing the line along Pa. Route 208 in Wilmington Township, Lawrence County.
Vallies and her husband, Louis, both in their 70s, own the familiar Dutch Isle near Pa. Route 18, the only ice cream stand in New Wilmington.
Jackie, who has had the business for 20 years, remodeled it three years ago, which included blacktopping the parking lot. She said she can't believe that the sewer installation process was not more sensitive to her business concerns.
She said that many customers "drove away" recently after workers dumped a 15-foot-high pile of gravel on her back stone parking lot, blocking 16 parking spaces. She said she paid a hauler $1,000 to move it. The portion that couldn't be picked up was spread over the current gravel portion of the back lot.
But the large size of the gravel is too big for horses' hoofs, causing a problem for her Amish customers, who park their buggies on the back lot, she said.
In addition, an excavator was temporarily parked on the property by the construction company and its weight cracked the blacktop in addition to leaking a fluid, which has left grease spots.
There is now a crack which runs the length of the lot, many smaller perpendicular cracks, as well as some holes chewed into the surface.
None of the damage was there when the lot was inspected in March when it was in such good shape it didn't need to be sealed, she said.
And a raised area in the blacktop similar to a speed bump previously served to divert water from the road into storm drains. But Vallies said the excavator smashed the bump, which will now allow storm water to flow from the road down toward the ice cream stand.
She said she has obtained an estimate of $10,000 to restore the lot to its previous condition.
Vallies acknowledged that the construction company changed the planned sewer line route from coming through her back parking lot and instead is bringing it along the side of her house, which is east of the stand, because "it would have devastated my business."
While she agrees that the sewer is needed, she said so much property damage was not necessary.
Vallies, who will have to pay $3,000 to hook up to the sewer, said she has inquired about whether the property damage will be remedied and was told that the company has posted a bond. But she does not know how much of the damage will be fixed.
Official response
Bob Campbell, chairman of Wilmington Township Sewer Authority, would not comment on Vallies' complaints.
Vito Patierno is Rudzik's project supervisor for the job. He said he has tried to work with Vallies but said in the six miles of sewer he has completed on Pa. Route 158 and 208, Vallies is the only property owner who has been so unhappy.
Businesses along the route included The Cheesehouse, Ryder's Restaurant and a nearby flower shop, and none had any complaints.
He said he has dealt with commercial and residential property owners since sewer installation began in November and said Vallies has been his "biggest obstacle."
When asked if the company will put new blacktop on Vallies' parking lot, he replied that there "may be some patch repairs," which he said have been done elsewhere where blacktop was damaged. He faulted Vallies, however, for being unreasonable.
He said that dumping stone prior to sewer installation is "standard procedure" and said he "had numerous milkshakes at the business while discussing the sewer line with Vallies."
He disagreed that she was not told in advance how the work would be done.
Patierno said he understands why she didn't want the property to be disturbed during her peak season but said her actions aggravated the time line.
He said the stone was on the property longer than usual because she wanted the line to be moved next door to run alongside her house. She then delayed signing an agreement to move the sewer line, even though this is what she wanted, he said.
The agreement was finally signed after "one and a half month's hassle," he said adding, "It didn't make sense."