Resident wants line changed in front of mother's home

A line on Route 209 in the Jamestown area may have been placed in the wrong location according to a Mahoning Township resident's son who came to ask supervisors for their assistance in having PennDOT move the line to provide room to park a car to help his elderly mother.

"I have an 80 year old mother with respiratory problems and when we park in front of our house now we are over the white line and on the road," said resident Todd Weaver who informed supervisors that at one time he believed the line was further away from the curb in front of his mother's house.

He told supervisors there are two houses closest to the alley adjacent to Route 209 that have curbing and the location of the lines painted by PennDOT the last time they repainted the highway is too close to the curb. The other houses have no curbing so there is parking available for them, but Weaver's mother's home and her neighbor do not have room to park on the side of the road.

"My mother needed an ambulance and when it is there it is more than halfway out on the road which is hazardous for everyone," he said.

Supervisor Travis Steigerwalt asked if Weaver had approached PennDOT about the problem. Weaver said PennDOT required the supervisors to approve or concur the lines were in error before they would fix them.

"That is why I am here tonight," he answered. Weaver added that when he is there, he usually parks in the rear except when the weather is bad, but he needs to be able to park in front of the house to help his mother in and out of the home. He said within the past two months at least two cars have driven up over the curb.

"We will need to talk with our engineer to see if the lines are in the wrong place first," said Chairman John Wieczorek. "Does the location affect the roadway?"

Weaver said there seemed to be more space on the opposite side of the road which would provide clearance to move the lines.

Supervisor Franklin Ruch said upon reviewing the plan Weaver presented at the outset of his presentation that he believed if the lines were moved it was done inadvertently.

The supervisors concurred they would have the engineer review the plans and the road and would let Weaver know what can be done.