Frank Albertson of North, isn’t satisfied with the way the Virginia Department of Transportation is handling ditch maintenance around his home.

Albertson said that current construction on North River Road (Route 617), which runs in front of his house, is destined to cause problems with drainage on his property.

Albertson and his wife, Joy, purchased the property in 1979, and he said they have always abided by the advice they received from a previous owner: Keep the ditches cleaned out. In addition, Albertson has been alert to the possibility of drainage problems on his waterfront property and has been careful to make sure any work he does on the land carries water away from his home and septic system.

One of the first things Albertson did after buying his property was to have the land graded away from his house and toward the small cove at the head of Oakland Creek where his property lies. Dredge spoils had built up the bank along the cove and prevented his land from drai...