By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Each spring, the seal-coated roads throughout the Lake Panorama community are in danger as warm temperatures and thawing conditions weaken the roadbed. This period of changing conditions is the time when heavy loads can cause significant damage.
That is the reason the Lake Panorama Association (LPA) implements an annual spring road embargo. This embargo prohibits loaded vehicles that weigh more than 5 tons on most LPA roads during the spring thaw while the frost is coming out of the ground and the roadbed is soft.
In 2025, it cost more than $45,000 to seal coat one mile of LPA roads; the cost in 2026 will be $50,000 per mile. That’s why this annual embargo is vital to help avoid road damage.
Past road embargoes have occurred sometime between early February and early April. Once in place, the embargo remains until conditions stabilize and road surfaces can bear significant loads without damage.
The LPA will work with Panorama Schools to arrange school transportation before initiating the embargo.
Depending on the weather, these annual road embargoes can last two to six weeks. Warm, windy, sunny days with nights above freezing speed up the process. Cool, cloudy weather with highs in the 40s and lows near or below freezing prolongs the process.
LPA staff urges members to schedule deliveries as soon as possible, if more than a passenger van or a pickup truck will be required. Members needing deliveries for remodel projects, construction, furniture or other large objects should try to get these items delivered as soon as possible or face the delays required by an embargo.
Also, members who need to have their septic tanks pumped must schedule this service outside of the embargo window.
Members are responsible for the actions of their guests, which includes the delivery of items that are reasonably known to require a large delivery vehicle. LPA rule 4.1(k)(5) states: “LPA shall be authorized to consider a delivery vehicle as a member’s guest per LPA rules and regulations 2.20(e), which states members shall be responsible for the actions of their guests.”
Once the embargo is in place, one option will be to transfer heavy loads to other lighter vehicles at a designated location. Deliveries can be coordinated with security at two locations. The east drop-off site will be at the old maintenance shed on the north side of 200th Street. The west side location will be the parking lot off the east side of Redwood Road near the Panorama West golf course.
LPA’s typical protocol for implementing the embargo is to make a decision on a Thursday, and have the embargo go into effect the following Monday. LPA reserves the right to make emergency decisions, as needed, but will make every effort to provide advance notice.