Brenda Casey thinks the months of construction on Princess Street in Petrolia is more than a taxpayer should have to take.

The town’s contractor began the $1.3 million construction project in September and was able to complete half of the street. But the stretch of Princess from Dufferin to Petrolia Line could not be finished.

Construction crews completed the underground work but winter set in before the job could be completed in late November. The town plowed the street in the winter but by the time the snow melted the gravel was filled with dips and potholes making driving difficult.

The contractor is back on the job now, pouring concrete for curbs and sidewalks. Casey and her neighbours can’t get into their driveways during the work. “It’s been three weeks of us parking somewhere down the street,” she says.

Casey is frustrated by the progress. “We pay taxes and when you pay taxes you pay for all the services,” she told The Independent. “My sister’s place had sewage on the lawn…my neighbours had frozen pipes…my boys have had more flat tires than ever.”

Casey says many neighbours expressed their frustration over the noise and inconvenience of the unfinished road. One woman noticed damage on her front porch, others felt cracks in their walls had been caused by construction vibrations, still others said the work had kicked up enough dust to make their siding dirty.

So Casey decided to look for compensation. She found a form on line and circulated it to her neighbours asking if they would want to submit it to town officials. She says many expressed an interest however she is not sure how many will file for compensation.

And she’s realistic about her chances of getting compensation. “We’re probably holding our breath…it’s our Hail Mary.”