As a pedestrian, I am always making sure I don't run afoul of hazards underfoot. Lately I have seen several drainage grates that could be a problem for anyone not looking where they are walking.
Maintenance of these necessary but humble structures seems to be lacking in several spots around the city. Their function is to carry away stormwater, but they have to be properly situated and be free of debris.A few years ago, three drains behind our building had to be fixed. One works well, one has sunk and the third is full of silt and is overgrown with weeds. Maintenance of these drains seems to be way far down the owner's list of things to do. I have mucked out the silt-filled one a couple of times myself, but given a choice between doing that and hopping the bus to Westfield to go shopping, guess what wins out.
Here's another one on a Connolly property. For some reason, Blogger has re-oriented the image from what appears in my Pictures file, but you get the point. Alongside the drain is a gaping hole that can admit all sorts of debris into the storm drain.
Here's another one on a Connolly property. For some reason, Blogger has re-oriented the image from what appears in my Pictures file, but you get the point. Alongside the drain is a gaping hole that can admit all sorts of debris into the storm drain.Maintenance seems almost to be a lost art nowadays. Maybe nobody walks around and checks things like faulty grates, or maybe they do and hope nobody notices, lest it affect the bottom line.
My hope is that at least once a year, a property owner walks around the premises with open eyes and takes responsibility for all repairs, even down to the level of storm grates. I for one will be grateful.
--Bernice Paglia
Bernice..I fell in one of the "broken/non-maintained" grates once by the train station. I severely sprained my ankle when I stepped into a basically open hole on one of the city streets. I had it looked at and tended to myself and was laid up for 3-4 days. I didn't even think about instigating a lawsuit because I thought that since I had just moved here, and this city needed all the help it could get I didn't want to deliver yet another slap-down to it over an issue that had been overlooked. Can you imagine how stupid I feel now for not taking some serious cash from this city's insurance company? Had I known then that the city is simply a mismanaged pit where quality workers are stymied by political hacks I would have cashed out big time. Back in the late 80's early 90's a lawsuit for someone stepping into a pothole was an easy $20-$30k payout. I could have had a nice chunk of change...and if it ever happens again... I WILL.
ReplyDeleteWalk down to 735 Park Avenue, Cornell Arms, owned my Connolly and take a look at the sunken grates in the parking lot, one at the entrance next to the sidewalk. They are a disaster waiting to happen. When it rains a lot, the back of the building becomes a swimming pool with two feet of water, since the drain there is clogged.
ReplyDeleteWalks in front of the citys garages from tire place to the auto body shop on South Aveneue, sidewalks with no penalty for them or's downtown with those orange cones sticking up from the sidewalk all over. whats are they for instead of making someone fall over them ?
ReplyDeleteHow about not sidewalk violations be given out until all the murders in town not solved are caught? Us everyone to work on crime not sidewalks !!
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