SIDE STREETS: Artificial potholes, real parking problems

Kim Polomka may be the only person in Colorado Springs to ever request a pothole.

Actually, he wants a couple, smack in the middle of East Platte Avenue near Union Boulevard. The bigger the better. Is he nuts?

In an update of previous Side Streets columns, we revisit Polomka and his campaign to reduce crashes on Platte. Plus, there is news out of Ridgeview at Stetson Hills and its furor surrounding overnight, on-street parking.

First, Polomka and his potholes. Readers may recall Polomka's photo diary of crashes in front of his home on Platte. Over the years he has witnessed dozens of crashes from scary T-bone collisions to chain-reaction pileups to assorted fender-benders.

Now, Polomka is asking for potholes.

Sort of.

He wants motorists to think they are about to hit huge potholes.

"I do have a short-term solution for this rather heavy accident rate on Platte Avenue," Polomka said in an e-mail to Dave Krauth, principal traffic engineer. "It's rather out of the box."

Check out my Side Streets blog to see exactly what Polomka is advocating. It is amazing, actually: huge decals that look like gaping potholes in the middle of the road.

Krauth said his department is familiar with the pothole decals.

"There's another one that makes you think it's a speed hump," Krauth said. "But it's just a picture, too.

"We get a kick out of them."

The decals are the patented brainchild of Brad Groff, an attorney in Georgia. They resemble large vinyl door mats that can be simply laid on the asphalt. The illusion is very realistic. Motorists believe they are approaching the mother of all potholes.

And that's the problem with them, Krauth said. They are too realistic.

"A driver might think ‘Omigosh! I didn't see it. What am I going to do?' Then they will slam on their brakes and swerve," Krauth said. "It could cause crashes."

Polomka is convinced they would prevent crashes, not contribute to more, and he has even offered to save the city the cost of buying the decals.

"As a professional artist, I can make these optical illusions that might help slow traffic on East Platte Avenue," Polomka said.

Krauth said he appreciates Polomka's dedication to neighborhood safety, but he will not be commissioning any painted potholes. Krauth did, however, promise that a series of public meetings will begin soon to figure out why Platte is Accident Avenue.

As for Stetson Hills, the 3,200 homeowners in Ridgeview are getting their opportunity, once and for always, to decide whether to allow overnight parking on the street.

The homeowners association has heard the complaints and is putting the issue up for a vote.

Mail in your ballot or attend the neighborhood's annual meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Skyview Middle School.

Speak up, Ridgeview at Stetson Hills residents, or forever park in your driveways.

"If 2,000 homeowners vote to change, we'll change it happily," said Kevin Curry, HOA board president.

You heard that right. It takes a supermajority to amend the covenants and remove the no overnight parking on the street rule. That's 2,000 votes.

Ridgeview is lucky to get 200 homeowners to its annual meeting. So chances are slim that 2,000 will bother to attend or mail in their votes.

"I'm pleased we get to vote," resident John Van Winkle said. "I just hope we get enough votes to fix this stupidity."

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Tell me about your neighborhood: 636-0193 or bill.vogrin@gazette.com