News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Gainesboro’s Bridge Community Church has approached the city’s aldermen for help witht property damage being caused by Amazon delivery trucks.
Church Co-Pastor Ken Lewis said the delivery drivers are using the entrance beside the church to pick up packages from the post office. Lewis then said the drivers are turning the corner too sharp and destroying the canopy and gutters attached to the church building. Lewis said the church has replaced the canopy and gutter several times but the issue keeps happening.
“They just blast right up that one way you know, right up against the grain,” Lewis said. “You can’t, there is not enough room to turn there and so they are going to smash it and well these last gutters they smashed we haven’t even gotten the bill for it yet and they have already wrecked them.”
The aldermen decided to take a look at what can be done to address the issue. Aldermen Tom Goetz said he would like the city to look at what a concrete bollards would look like before allowing the church to place one as there are gas lines close to the proposed location.
“I’ve seen your great roof you put on there and everything,” Goetz said. “I was disappointed to see it had already gotten smashed on the corner again. They get there at 5:45am is that about right, cause we hear it every morning when they start slamming stuff around we know about it. We are that close, but if the gas lines and things are right there where you are saying and to put another bollard in and they are going to hit it to, we know they will right, just like they have already hit the one you have and that is going to keep moving all that around and we are going to rupture a gas line.”
Lewis said they have worked with the police department to file an insurance claim against Amazon. Gainesboro Police Chief Mickey Smith said it is almost impossible to file an insurance claim as Amazon is contracting the deliveries out.
“I’ve even gone up there after the first one hit and the next three days it was three different drivers,” Smith said. “They lease these vehicles and so they are leased through Penske or whatever and it’s through an LLC so you don’t know who the driver is. They got tag numbers and everything and I’ve spent about two days trying to figure out who the driver was.”
Co-Pastor Brett Knight said the church has cameras and have seen drivers smash the canopy, get out look at it and then get back in the truck and carry on. Lewis said what the drivers are doing is illegal and unfortunately unless you catch them red handed there is nothing you can do about it.
