Broken Sidewalks: Public Works Officials to Meet with Atlanta Homeowners

Property owners in Atlanta's Ormewood Park neighborhood who have received letters from the city ordering them to repair sidewalks in front of their homes will have a chance to question the Atlanta Department of Public Works.

As part of the Department's outreach to homeowners, it will do a walk-through in the neighborhood this month to address individual homeowner concerns and reservations.

The letters, which followed a complaint last year from a wheelchair-bound man who said parts of Delaware Avenue are hard to navigate, have caused an uproar. The issue is likely to affect other neighborhoods because city officials have said they plan to expand their sidewalk improvement efforts across the city.

Many question the legality of the city's orders, which include estimated costs for the work and a warning that if homeowners don't complete the work, the city will do it and then bill the property owner.

Some property owners also objected to the amount of time they had to respond to the city — 15 days from the date of the letter, not when the homeowner received it, as is standard. Several residents said they had only days to respond because they only received their notices several days after they were dated.

At least one property owner has filed an appeal with the city on the grounds that not enough time was given to assess and respond and the department's explanation of the problem is vague.

Department officials have said that while the initial review is focused on the Ormewood Park and Home Park in Northwest Atlanta, it plans to embark on a citywide examination of city sidewalks.

See also:

• Broken Sidewalks Build Pathways to Controversy
• Task Force Forms to Fix Atlanta Sidewalks
• Busted: Atlanta’s false sense of sidewalk security
• Poll: Which Sidewalk is Most Hazardous?
• Virginia-Highland Sidewalk Improvement Project