WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Angelo Binno enjoys walking the safety paths in West Bloomfield, but for the 44-year-old, who is legally blind, those paths have become increasingly dangerous.
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Binno was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that severely limits his vision.
"I see the world through a straw. I don't have any peripheral vision below my eyes. So if you were to look through a straw, that's how I see," Binno said. "I have narrow fields, only central vision."
He says overgrown trees and branches that extend well beyond the edges of the paths pose a serious hazard on his usual 4-mile route he takes along Maple Rd, Orchard Lake Rd, 14 Mile Rd, and Farmington Rd.
"If I forget to move to the left, I'll encounter branches and trees like this. Some of them are very sharp," Binno said.
He says the problem has worsened due to a wet spring and summer.
"Trees are constantly growing. It's unsafe for somebody like me with a disability, with a blindness, to have to walk on the right side of the path and constantly be scraped and poked and jabbed by trees," Binno said.
After raising the issue with the township multiple times without resolution, Binno sent a letter asking for help, saying, "I respectfully ask for your assistance in reviewing this matter and considering whether the Township can increase the frequency of tree maintenance and debris removal along its safety paths."
"All I'm simply asking the township to do is trim trees. What I was told is that they trim trees one or two times a year," Binno said.
West Bloomfield Township Communications Specialist Brian Burch confirmed the township's current maintenance schedule.
"The township has 70 miles of safety paths, and we maintain a schedule of twice a year. Every part of every safety path is cleared of brush. So, sometime in the spring, sometime in the fall," Burch said.
Burch said a township representative walked the path with Binno earlier this month. When asked whether the township would consider increasing the frequency of trimming, Burch said the current schedule addresses most issues, but that residents play an important role in flagging problems between scheduled maintenance.
"That's where the resident in question alerting us can really help us a lot and help us address his concerns more immediately," Burch said.
Burch said the township acknowledges that growth can occur between scheduled maintenance cycles. The township plans to take another look at Binno's route and urges all residents to report hazards immediately.
For Binno, the issue goes beyond tree trimming.
"I just want this township to service every individual equally. No matter economic status, disability," Binno said.
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