Potholes on South 12th Street cause driver concerns

By BRITTANY FHOLER 
Cove Leader-Press 

A section of South 12th Street which runs between two businesses and connects a shopping center with East Avenue D is riddled with potholes that have caused concerns for a number of residents. 
During citizens’ forum at the April 2 Copperas Cove City Council meeting, resident Jonathan Haywood brought up the pothole-ridden section of street between the Laser Wash car wash and the Valvoline on Avenue D. 
The street and its potholes have been points of discussion and contention, with Haywood and other citizens bringing up the matter in the past. Haywood said he was worried citizens, especially children, were going to get injured as a result of cars swerving to avoid the potholes. 
Despite appearing as South 12th Street on maps, the roadway is actually considered a private driveway and is not the responsibility of the city of Copperas Cove to maintain, but rather the responsibility of the property owner, said city administration. 
Kris Knap, who owns several storefronts in the shopping center connected to Dollar Tree, said it is up to the different business owners to maintain their section of the parking lot. When the portion in front of his portion of the shopping center gets damaged, he said he has it repaired, but has no control over the portions that extend past the shopping center. 
Knap believes that the Laser Wash car wash and the Valvoline share a responsibility for that portion of the road since it runs between both businesses. 
According to the Coryell County Appraisal District website, the Valvoline, located at 710 E. Avenue D, is owned by McGoldrick Enterprises Inc., which has a mailing address in Belton. The Laser Wash is owned by Murray Medical, which has a mailing address in Burnet. 
The Copperas Cove Leader-Press contacted the city’s Public Information Officer, Kevin Keller, about what the city could do regarding the potholes. Keller responded back with a statement from Interim City Manager Ryan Haverlah, who said that the city is “equally concerned about the hazard these potholes have created for the public.”
“Since it is on private property and our ordinances do not provide enforceable maintenance requirements for parking lots, the City will communicate with the appropriate commercial/retail entities to actively address the hazard with corrective action to include at a minimum filling the potholes,” Haverlah’s statement read. “The City’s primary interest is to encourage responsible action by those entities. The City is researching alternative actions if necessary.”