CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – If you’ve driven down Lowes Drive lately, you’ve likely noticed the potholes along the road. While it looks like several have been repaired through the years, it’s still full of rough patches and looks to be below road standards.
However, since that is not a public road but a private road, the maintenance and responsibility fall to its owners. Clarksville Now spoke with multiple businesses along the stretch of road to see how the potholes have affected them, and to find out what can be done to get the problem fixed.
Who is responsible for Lowes Drive?
According to the City of Clarksville, the private road is owned by Lowes Home Centers Inc., Kroger LTD Partnership and Anchor Group Corp.
The potholes range in size all along the road, with some being the width of the tire and others being 2 or 3 feet wide. Several are fairly deep, ranging from about an inch to nearly 5 inches. Additionally, the lines on the road have faded and are not visible in some places.
Despite that, Lauren Bell with the Kroger Nashville Division told Clarksville Now the company has not received any complaints from motorists, and there are no plans to revive the road in the near future.
“We have not received any complaints regarding potholes on Lowes Drive that I am aware of. It would be the responsibility of all three owners to repair the road, and a coordinated effort of all three to initiate and complete the work,” she said. “I checked with our real estate team, and they are not aware of any immediate plans to work on that road, but again, that would be a coordinated effort with all three owners.”
Clarksville Now has reached out to Lowes Management and Anchor Group Corp. for comment.
Several other businesses are also along the road but don’t share in its ownership. One of the larger businesses is Jenkins & Wynne Ford. Larry Schulz, general sales manager at Jenkins & Wynne, said he once contacted the city about the issue.
“It’s definitely not the smoothest road in town,” Schulz told Clarksville Now. “They (the city) said until the road is brought up to standards, which would be sidewalks (and) lights, they wouldn’t take it over as a city road.”
City steps in to ask for repairs
The city has taken action previously to get the potholes filled. In July 2017, the City of Clarksville Building and Codes Department sent notices of violation to the owners for having potholes on Lowes Drive, according to Leaf-Chronicle archives.
When contacted this week by Clarksville Now, Mayor Joe Pitts said the city is taking action again.
“We are in contact with the private property owners, and are requesting receipt of a plan of action from them, for the repair of the potholes on Lowes Drive,” Mayor Joe Pitts said on Friday.
“This road is technically a private drive and the City only has the authority to cite the ownership if they fail to keep the road in good condition. Diplomacy is always our first course of action and David Smith, director of Building Codes, is doing just that, by working with the property owners to fix it. Failing that, all that we can do is cite them to City Court,” Pitts said.