The Observation Deck

A couple weeks ago I got home from work and noticed some white dots on my sidewalk. As the gas company has been looking for a gas leak in the neighborhood for four years I figured it had something to do with that.

Last Friday I got a nice note from the building department that let me know the white dots indicated parts of the sidewalk that needed to be replaced. I could find a contractor, or I could pay the city to do it.

The strange thing is, 12 of my 13 dots are right next to the city trees in the tree lawn that have caused the damage to the sidewalk. With the sidewalk clearly being lifted up by the tree's roots.

Also they did not mark the four parts of the sidewalk that were ruined by the gas company's contractor, as they ran the backhoe back and forth over my sidewalk. I complained to the gas company 3 years ago about that and continue to call, but have not got an answer or any satisfaction. Will the city give me the four years that the gas company's contractor has enjoyed so far? I doubt it.

FWIW


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Yah, they have been getting our street the last couple of years. We had a friend in the concrete business make a bid and it was a bit high, even with the friend-rate so we went with the city figuring we would pay it over time (through an addition to our tax payment). The price the city came back with was a lot cheaper than my friend but beware the work, which also was not so good. They didn't make any effort to make a straight line, just level. So we now have an S-shape sidewalk (not as severe as it sounds but certainly not straight). I guess you get what you pay for.


Phil

yeah the city has a thing for tree lawns. last summer we had complaints that there was a 2 foot rat living under our tree lawn from garbage men and we had to pay an exterminator to kill it... although the big hole in our tree lawn was from a leak in the pipes under the street, and the soil got so moist that it collapsed and looked like a rat hole.

they eventually fixed the leak, and there also weren't any 2 foot rats running around this whole time.

If I understood the city worker correctly, the tree lawn is the cities property but the person living in the house has to keep it clean and orderly. So even though our "rat problem" was on cities property, we had to pay to get it cleaned up.

I didn't know that sidewalks fall into that category as well....

Jim O'Bryan wrote:A couple weeks ago I got home from work and noticed some white dots on my sidewalk. As the gas company has been
FWIW

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Even though the tree laen is city prop. You are still responsible for it's upkeep, including tree roots.....................
This would be your opportunity to install that pink and purple concrete sidwalk you always wantd.

I had to have a sidewalk replaced a couple years ago. I participated in the city's sidewalk program. I had looked quickly into finding a contractor on my own, but it was hard to find someone who would do it for a reasonable price - being that it was just the front sidewalk. The program worked out well in that regard.
Unfortunately, it appears the contractor didn't do a good job finishing the concrete because it has many areas of the honeycomb effect from air bubbles. The concrete is starting to deteriorate in those areas already.

Chris Trapp wrote:I had to have a sidewalk replaced a couple years ago. I participated in the city's sidewalk program. I had looked quickly into finding a contractor on my own, but it was hard to find someone who would do it for a reasonable price - being that it was just the front sidewalk. The program worked out well in that regard.
Unfortunately, it appears the contractor didn't do a good job finishing the concrete because it has many areas of the honeycomb effect from air bubbles. The concrete is starting to deteriorate in those areas already.

Chris

So am I missing something? The city plants trees that tear up our sidewalks, then cite us and charge us. We can go get a contractor that charges twice as much as the city, or pay the city that planted the trees that tore up the walks, to come in an do a sub-par job that just gets us cited again?!

John

I think you are right there is no code on color that I could find. Pink walks with green and yellow swirls. Mmmmmmm tasty. Or maybe I could sell the space to businesses, and cast their logos into the walk?


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looks like they did a nice job on Belle with sidwalks, aprons and the street. Looks so uniform that I have to assume it was a city project (how else do you get every neighbor to have the same materials used the at the same time).
While the city just completed a fine job on Lincoln between Franklin and Detroit, asphalt isn't as attractive as cement. How are those decisions made? Were there assesments for all the property owners on Belle like the ones referred to here about just the sidewalks?
I have to say that would be a cost that would be worthwhile if I could have an entire street with good looking sidewalks and aprons rather than the "diversity" that currently exists throughout most of the city. What is the cost of a sidewalk and apron these days, $600 maybe (considering that we're talking about a huge contract)?

Shawn

You have hit on a couple good points. The one that jumps our is the residents doing a buld buy possibly through the Emerald Canyon Co-op of sidewalks and aprons.

I have to think 300 sidewalks are cheaper than 13.


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Shawn,

I just wanted to throw in my two cents....or in this case, $157.00. You wondered if it would be about $600.00 for a sidewalk and apron. The $157.00 I was quoted was for ONE 25 sq. foot section. This was for the city contractor to complete the task. Considering I have the typical smaller Lkwd lot with a 40' frontage that means eight sections. Decuct only one permit fee (I'm guessing 25 bucks, I dont't know) and that leaves 132 each. 132 times 8 would be $1056 without an apron. Figure each apron is at least 50 square feet and your now up to about $1300.

The frustrating part was already brought up. About 20 yrs. ago a car crash took out the tree on the city tree lawn in front of my house. Two days later a new tree was planted. I called and said that I didn't really want a tree as it would only cause me problems in the future. I was told that it was too bad as the city owns the tree lawn and they replace trees when they are knocked down. So I guess until someone files some type of court action then the answer is yes, city property can damage your property and you are responsible. The funny thing is if a city cushman knocks into your gutter or clips the side of your house, there is never a problem. I guess I have to compute which would cost me more. Replacing my ONE section and paying the whole thing, or pay my share of the cost of all the sections across the city. My only hope is that the city holds their contractor responsible for a poorly done job.

Yeah, I have three white dots in front of my Franklin rental. However, none of my three are cracked or broken. They can be lifted and leveled which is much less expensive than replacing.

So, while this is a pain and is the responsibility of home owners, be aware that the option to level may exist with some white dotted sections.

By the way, should homeowners be expecting some official notification from the city on this issue?

David

I got a letter, with the city seal on it.

I know Pat is a little upset as his line up with trees, John's line up with trees, the only one I know of that didn't get one is Ken who has no trees!

Franklin leveling party?



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Jim -

Ugh.

Is there a "must be repaired by" date in the letter?

The suggestion you made earlier about pooling most or all the work with one contractor may be a good idea. Do you have a contractor in mind?

Any Franklin leveling party would have to exclude Ken. Just kidding. That lucky bum.

David Anderson wrote:Jim -

Ugh.

Is there a "must be repaired by" date in the letter?

The suggestion you made earlier about pooling most or all the work with one contractor may be a good idea. Do you have a contractor in mind?

Any Franklin leveling party would have to exclude Ken. Just kidding. That lucky bum.

Dave

No completion date given, just words that make you assume sooner than later. Certainly no later than the city fixing the curbs on our street, or the six months it took the last administration to fix the sink hole, but sooner than the 4 years it took the gas company to find the leak that was so bad everyone walking by called the fire department!

Ken only wears socks now that he is retired. I guess we will just have him tell us civil war stories.

I have a call in with a couple contractors, will run him by your house and maybe we can get a group rate.

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Maybe the contractor can check-out Phil's sidewalk as well. He's one house east of mine - the small yellow single home.

Thanks much.

David Anderson wrote:Maybe the contractor can check-out Phil's sidewalk as well. He's one house east of mine - the small yellow single home.

Thanks much.

Know Phil and family well. Will do.


Jim