Contributed by Mike Feazel
The pile of debris generated by the Jan. 3 snowstorm at Lake Monticello is nearly overwhelming the Lake Monticello Owners Association maintenance yard, but a chipper has begun chipping away at the pile.
To date, the LMOA maintenance department has cleared debris from roadsides in three sections of the Lake, with nine more to go, plus Jefferson Drive. The pile from the three sections covers an area equal to more than half a football field, several feet high. The rented chipper began working Feb. 2 and the wood chips will be part of LMOA’s Earth Day Free Wood Chip giveaway to residents in April, with the rest transported to a paper mill.
Cleanup is expected to continue into May, and cost about $100,000. LMOA considered hiring outside companies to help speed the process, but decided against spending the extra estimated $400,000, LMOA officials said. LMOA said it does have openings for seasonal workers, and is welcoming volunteers who would like to help clear debris on the weekends. Contact dflynn@lmoa.org for more information. LMOA said it will work with residents to make removing leaning or dangerous pines on their property easier. They can email the Environmental Control & Compliance Administrator Carol Cavanaugh at ccavanaugh@lmoa.org. She will in many cases grant permission to have the trees removed without a permit.
