City acts quickly to rid park site of asphalt

Illegally dumped asphalt at the future site of Surprise Farms Park has irked one nearby resident and prompted a quick cleanup effort by city crews.

Dale Pierce, a local gadfly and resident of the Surprise Farms development, noticed the asphalt more than two months ago and reported it to the city.

"I just saw a big, black spot," Pierce said.

Public Works Director Bob Beckley, however, said the city was already aware of the asphalt, and that it is actually a very thin layer on the surface of the dirt. The city was planning to clean up the debris in the coming weeks, but Pierce's complaints to the city resulted in a speedier effort. Beckley said Wednesday that crews were scheduled to shovel and rake the asphalt by the end of the day Thursday.

The party responsible for the dumping is unknown, though it was not the city, Beckley said. The asphalt was there prior to contractor D.L. Withers Construction arriving at the site, he added.

It was the second case of asphalt dumping in Surprise Farms this month. Another pile about 2 yards long was picked up in a vacant lot along Alcoma Drive. The culprit is unknown.

Pierce sent a complaint to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department concerning the asphalt in the park. The matter was investigated but no air quality violations were found, the department reported.

While not a health risk, Beckley said asphalt piles in general pose a blight risk.

"We want to keep vacant lots clean, because the longer things are left in that condition, it almost encourages more unauthorized dumping," he said.

As for Surprise Farms Park, construction is still on track for spring 2009 completion. Play is expected to commence on the softball fields early next summer.

On Sept. 11, the Surprise City Council is set to vote on construction contracts that will give the green light to the remainder of park improvements, Beckley said.

Pierce is familiar to Surprise city staff, have lobbied hard last summer to speed up construction of Surprise Farms Park, holding a community meeting in his garage and inviting the media and Surprise City Council members. His efforts focused attention on the park, which is now being built.

Pierce, who needs a wheelchair for mobility, also claimed last year that his wheelchair's tires were repeatedly damaged from broken glass on city sidewalks. In two separate instances, one involving a lawsuit, Pierce fought the city for damages. The city ultimately settled, paying Pierce about $150 total for both instances, though it did not concede any liability.

From July 2007 to January, the city went as far as to tally how many times he was contacting city staff and for what reasons. The city showed 18 contacts from Pierce concerned Surprise Farms Park, 18 reporting glass on sidewalks, 12 to complain of damaged tires, four concerning potholes, four concerning graffiti and two concerning Dial-A-Ride.

Surprise spokesman Ken Lynch said the city tries its best to respond to "all citizen concerns," even if it consumes a lot of staff time. "Like every resident, our doors and our offices are open to Mr. Pierce."

And Pierce's complaints have led to city action.

Pierce's recent complaints about asphalt piles in Surprise Farms Park hastened city crews to clean up the debris, dumped by an unknown party. In addition to writing Mayor Lyn Truitt and City Manager Randy Oliver, Pierce contacted The Arizona Republic and said he sent a letter to President Bush, though he was "not sure he can help."

Pierce, 57, continues to criticize the city, and he believes its staff "couldn't care less."

But District 3 Councilman John Williams said he has "a ton of respect" for Pierce, 57. Williams said the city needs residents to get involved as Pierce has. Williams noted that he would rather hear from Pierce than nothing at all from his constituents.