Death of Crane Driver Shows Why Projects Like Discovery Core Aren’t Smart

Earlier this year, the Summit County Council refused to grant special exceptions to the Discovery Core Project, a housing development behind Weilenmann School. The project required special exceptions because its roads were too steep and setbacks weren’t big enough. Things about it just weren’t safe.

The intelligence of this decision was highlighted by a tragic accident just down the road in Summit Park on September 3rd. The Park Record reported that the driver of a crane “was driving a crane near the intersection of Upper Evergreen Drive and Paradise Road when it went off a steep embankment into a ravine and rolled over onto its side.” Details are still unknown as the accident is under investigation.

Yet, what we know is that the south side of I-80 from Summit Park through Pinebrook can be some of the most challenging driving both because the roads are steep and turns can be tight. The County has rules in place to not only protect the people who live in these areas but the people that construct these places.

While there is always a battle in Summit County between property owners’ right to build and those who want development stopped, the issue of safety goes beyond that. Often a property owner feels like they have the right to do whatever they want with property. That right doesn’t extend to issues that could be a safety concern for residents, visitors, and those working on construction.

The County Council did the right thing when they denied exceptions that could have led to unsafe conditions and an accident like this only amplifies the wisdom of that decision.