Traversing the pothole-ridden roads of the Brandywine Shores subdivision has been exasperating for those who live there. 

Thirty-year resident Sharon Harris said the bumpy roads have lengthened her commute time.

“Well it slows me down. I can only drive 15 mph,” Harris said. “It’s really hard on the vehicle.”

Since earlier this year, residents in the subdivision worked with Niles Township trustees and members of the Berrien County Road Commission to create a road improvement plan, which includes approximately 5 miles of parts of M-51/South 11th Street, Oakdale Avenue, North Street and Tam-O-Shanter Lane.

On Oct. 19,  trustees hosted a general information meeting at Brandywine High School, where they asked residents to vote on different options to fix the roads. Trustees examined the votes and narrowed the options down to two plans Monday night, before voting on a final plan to execute.

Thirty-three residents voted for Plan A and 25 voted for Plan B. Less than 20 residents voted for one of the other proposed plans.

Harris joined less than five other Brandywine Shores residents at Monday’s township meeting to hear which plan trustees would approve.

The two plans included:

Plan A: Estimated to cost $666,413, this plan would install a 2-inch layer of asphalt on the road’s surface. In order to address water runoff, this plan also proposed establishing ditching alongside South 13th north of the Country Club Drive and on both sides of the road on South 15th Street between Oakdale and the Country Club Drive. Finally, 27 leaching basins would also be added throughout.

Plan B: Estimated to cost $1,001,613, this plan would call for the removal of existing asphalt, which would be replaced with 3 inches of gravel, topped with 2-inches of asphalt. To mitigate surface water, plans for ditching and leaching basins would be consistent with Plan A.

The township has vouched to cover approximately $333,207 of the road improvement cost, while residents will pay the rest, levied out through a special assessment district that would be divided over a number of years, based on the plan selected. In Plan A, residents would be assessed $1,641 per parcel, while Plan B called for residents to be assessed $3,293.

For the most part, trustees agreed that Plan A was the most reasonably priced, while also offering residents the road improvements they were looking for.

“With all special assessment districts, you always have to weigh the cost versus the benefit to the homeowner,” said Treasurer Jim Ringler. “Once you get going into Plan B, you are going to get a new paved road, but does it make your property worth $3,293 more? I’m not sure that it does.”

Trustee Dan Pulaski added that he felt Plan A was best because it included filling in the existing pot holes to prep the road. Residents were also promised that an engineer would return two years after the project to seal the road.

Supervisor Jim Stover disagreed that Plan A was the best fit and argued that, though the price tag for Plan B was higher, he thought the additional features would help the roads to last longer, especially given the severe shape the roads in Brandywine Shores are currently in. Stover said after recently visiting the subdivision, he noted that 75 percent of the road’s surface was covered in pot holes.

“I have more of a comfort with Plan B, even though I don’t want to assess that kind of money,” Stover said. “I just think it would be money well spent.”

Stover also cited the road improvements project that happened last year in the Mission Hills subdivision, which cost an approximate $590,000. Residents in that neighborhood were assessed $1,800 per unit to be paid through a 10-year SAD. Though the project was only about a year old, Stover said he noticed areas where the road was already thinning.

Following the discussion, trustees voted 5-1 and approved Plan A. Next, a public hearing to establish the district and hear objections will take place during the regularly scheduled township meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, at the Township Hall, located at 320 Bell Road. An actual cost for the project must still be determined.

Both Harris and Brandywine Shores’ resident Marguerite Wolter said she was glad to see the project advance Monday night, though, Harris said she partially agreed with Stover about Plan B.

“I’m kind of with  Jim,” Harris said. “During the meeting [Oct. 19], we were told Plan A would last 10 to 15 years and Plan B would last 20 to 25 years.”

Both Wolter and Harris commended the efforts of Brandywine Shores resident Myrna Hunt, who has been advocating for the project since its earliest proposal this year.

Also on Monday:

• Township trustees unanimously voted to select LaDenna Burrows as a substitute crossing guard to serve Brandywine students at 13th Street and Fulkerson Road in the morning and afternoons. Burrows has passed all background checks. Burrows was a school bus driver for 20 years, prior to applying to the crossing guard position. Berrien County Sheriff’s Deputy Angela Baggett said this will allow law enforcement to be relieved of the duty, should the current crossing guard be absent. Including Burrows, this will make three available crossing guards for the role. Burrows will be paid $50 total to work a morning and afternoon shift.